Kingdom Hearts III: Guardians Unite
by DreamMemoriesHJP
Summary: My Kingdom Hearts fanfiction starts at the beginning of the end. Sora and the others must go on an adventure to rescue the missing keyblade masters before taking on Master Xehanort, but the seeker of darkness is more powerful than they ever imagined. A new ally will emerge from the shadows of these dark times, but can the gang bring themselves to trust this demon...or angel?
1. Prologue: A Secret Story

**Prologue: A Secret Story**

_I wonder what we will do today,_ Riku thought as he tied his boat securely to the dock. The bright summer sun was shining fiercely, and not a cloud dotted the sky. A calm breeze came in from the ocean, cooling the air and carrying a salty scent with it. Riku raised himself onto the dock, tilted his head back and let the cooling breeze blow through his long silver hair, listening to the sound of the calm lapping waves. He noticed that Kairi and Sora's boats were already there, and he left the docks to meet them.

Ever since coming back from their adventures, Sora, Riku, and Kairi had met up every day at the secret cave near the waterfall to strengthen their ties with one another, reviving their strong relationship from almost a year before. Although originally Sora and Kairi's hideout that none of the other islanders knew about, the two didn't hesitate to share the cave with Riku. The trio had recently been hanging out there more than ever; now that school had been out for the past two months, Sora, Kairi, and Riku were even more desperate to find things to do – training, small adventures…anything! Riku walked along the shoreline, his hands in his pockets. _Sora's still trying to keep himself busy_, Riku thought, quietly laughing inside. _But who am I to blame him? I miss all of the action too…and my friends,_ he said to himself, his mind drifting back to their earlier travels with King Mickey and the others.

They had long since returned to their own world, and Sora, Riku, and Kairi were all forced to begin an easy life without their journeys. Riku paused, looking out towards the sea. _This is such a small world, and it hasn't changed a bit_, Riku reflected inwardly, thinking of how little excitement happened around the islands. A few times Riku and Sora had talked about leaving and finding another adventure, but now that the worlds were at peace, their services with the keyblade were no longer needed. Instead, they were needed at home, and that is where they agreed to stay.

_How long has it been?_ Riku asked himself, trying to remember how long ago he and Sora had returned to the islands and finished their journeys. _About…ten months already?_ he reasoned, adding up the time in his head. Riku chuckled silently, staring out at the sparkling waters. _It seems as if only yesterday we were fighting the Organization,_ he thought, remembering all of the excitement they had had. _I wonder…when our next adventure will begin…_ Riku thought as he continued on towards their meeting place.

Something made Riku stop in his tracks. _Wait a minute…something's not right,_ he thought, smelling the air. He could sense something he hadn't in a while; a strong darkness. Its scent was interweaved in the salty wind; the hairs on Riku's neck stood on edge as a result. He scanned the area, looking for what might be the cause of the stench. His ears found the origin of the odor faster than his eyes did, for he quickly caught the gentle thud of quiet footsteps. Sensing their direction, he glanced over towards the adjoining island and caught a glimpse of a figure shrouded in black.

_Who…wait, is that?_ Instantly Riku was on his guard; he knew he would never forget the telltale attire of the Nobodies. _A black coat…Organization XIII?_ he thought to himself. _No, it can't be…_ Riku thought, remembering that they had defeated all of the members of Organization XIII. How could any of them still be alive?

_But…the scent…_ There was no disguising the smell of darkness of which Riku was quick at detecting. On swift but silent feet, Riku ran to the bridge and with a high leap grabbed the edge of the wooden bridge and vaulted himself upon it, skillfully landing from his front flip. For a moment he was stunned. _I have never done that before; but then again, I've never really tried._ Focusing on the opposition, he gained a firm ready stance and faced the mysterious figure.

The cloaked stranger had heard Riku as he had landed on the bridge and turned from the water to face him. "I was hoping to go…unhindered," the character said, her voice reflecting her slight annoyance at Riku's arrival. Riku studied her carefully; if she was a member of the Organization, he surely hadn't met her before. She was tall and well-built, her mesomorph frame evident in the fit of her cloak. But he couldn't identify her by her voice or body build, and she kept her hood pulled over her face to keep from being identified.

Nothing beneath the secretive woman's hood could be seen since Riku wasn't close enough to study her more thoroughly. Nor did he want to be closer to someone who was most likely a powerful enemy. "Who are you?" he asked, becoming watchful of any sudden moves this disguised stranger might make. She did not seem as if preparing to attack, but when facing someone from the Organization – or even just someone with a darkness so pungent – one should be ready for anything.

The shrouded woman did not answer right away, but answered Riku's question after a brief pause. "No one you'd remember…" she said, shaking her head almost as if in a state of sad denial. After another slight silence she continued, "…but perhaps someone you have forgotten." As she said this, she raised her right arm and pointed at Riku, seeming disapproving at his apparent forgetfulness.

"What do you mean?" Riku asked; the vague reference was lost on him. He was rather confident that they had never met, but he could not tell without seeing her face, which still lay hidden beneath her hood. She refused to remove her disguise so he could positively distinguish if he knew her or not; the only visible scrap of possible identification was a small symbol that was engraved into her coat high on the left arm. No one that Riku had seen in the Organization had the mark, and it definitely was not the Nobody symbol. The symbol meant nothing to Riku, and he again gave his full attention to the figure, who had again begun to speak.

The stranger had seemed to bypass the question. She pulled her hand back slightly, and a small sigh reached Riku's ears. "But that is behind us, and beside the point," she said, waving the same hand over her shoulder as if pushing away the memories. "I didn't come here to oppose the keyblade warriors," she said, her arms comfortably hanging at her sides.

This was why Riku had thought she had come; why else would anyone who worked for the Organization come here? The world was so full of light, and therefore darkness did not find it as a suitable refuge. "Well, why did you come?" he asked imperatively with a slight threatening air in his voice, trying to appear bigger than this enemy. Although it seemed that fighting Riku wasn't on her agenda, he didn't want the worlds or his friends to be put in danger.

The concealed figure looked away from Riku to the palm tree on her left, the one Riku liked to sit on and watch the sunset with Sora and Kairi. Riku eyed her warily, cautious of her every move. She didn't seem to have any intention of attacking at the moment, though. "I came for those," she said, pointing up at the tree's crown.

"A Paupu fruit?" Riku said, surprised. Indeed, the shrouded figure was pointing to the ripe, golden star-shaped fruit at the top of the tree. This amazed Riku; if Nobodies didn't have hearts, then why would one want a fruit said to connect them. _Is she really even a Nobody?_ "But, why would –"

Riku did not complete his thought. The shadowy stranger suddenly jumped high into the air, catching Riku off-guard. He pulled out his keyblade, prepared for combat, but the unidentified (assumed) combatant clearly did not intend to attack. She had leaped towards the palm tree and ricocheted off of the misshapen trunk, gaining enough height to reach on of the star-shaped fruits. Grabbing one, she skillfully back flipped off the trunk near the tree's crown and landed gracefully in the same position she had been moments ago, this time with a Paupu fruit in her left hand.

The cloaked figure stared at the fruit, her fingers rubbing over its smooth surface as she spoke. "The legend of it," the bizarre character said, answering Riku's unfinished question. The unwelcome visitor turned her eyes from the fruit upward, staring at Riku. "If two people share one of these fruits, their destinies become intertwined," she said, motioning towards the fruit in her hand.

"Intertwined. Linked together, much like the heart," she continued, resting her right hand over her own chest while her left arm hung down. She looked up again at Riku from her upheld hand, resuming her explanatory speech. "And just like the heart, it may be able to be altered for an opposite reaction. I hope to test this theory in my research." The cryptic outsider stood with her arms at her sides, satisfied with her little speech.

"Hearts…" Riku said slowly as if interpreting the significance of her words. _Well, she really enjoys speaking in riddles,_ he thought. _But then again, some of the other members did, too. _He put away the "Way to Dawn" keyblade but still stood ready for attack, now next to certain that this mysterious person was a Nobody. His evidence was her character; she wore the cloak and also treated hearts like they were objects. _But, we defeated the entire Organization,_ Riku thought to himself. _Is it possible she was never part of their ranks? And what does she mean by 'research'?_ He decided to ask some of his questions aloud; the first one that come to mind was the first one that left his mouth. "They can be altered?" he asked, referring to her last comment on the heart.

The cloaked figure shook her head not as if denying it, but instead as if either ashamed or amused at Riku's lack of knowledge on the subject. Riku could not tell which emotion she felt, if any at all. She sighed before answering, "You of all people should know this, Riku." Riku was momentarily stunned, he hadn't told the stranger his name, yet she knew it.

"Hearts can be altered by the light and darkness," the expressive researcher explained, holding up her hands as she spoke of the light and darkness, the left hand with the Paupu fruit and her right empty outstretched representing each respectively. "Links between them can be created," she continued, holding out her right hand, her left resting at her side. In her upraised hand with a small flash of light appeared an illusion of a heart similar to those the emblem Heartless released. "…or cut," she continued after briefly pausing. She expressed her words by crushing the illusion and slicing her upraised hand through the air as if a knife severing a connection. _She is certainly illustrative,_ Riku thought to himself.

That seemed to be the only thing Riku could clearly pick up from her explanation; the account, taking a mere seconds, was so planned out it almost seemed as if it were rehearsed. He didn't understand how he should know what her words meant and took the extravagance of the demonstration as a clear sign of how little she believed he understood about the subject compared to her knowledge. Yes, he had fallen to his own darkness once, but that was due to the choices he made, not a heart alteration. _But, could it be that my heart actually __was__ altered?_ he thought silently before again questioning the puzzling adversary. "What are you saying? And how do you know my name?" Riku demanded, gaining more and more questions for her by the minute and hoping for the opportunity to ask them all.

"Still in the dark." Again the cloaked person shook her head; Riku detected her quiet chuckle of amusement this time. "I'm afraid that you will have to learn the hard way," she continued, mysteriously. "But I must also tell you this. As the heart can be altered, so too can the mind," she said, pointing to her own head. "You saw how Kairi's altered mind slowly began to restore itself, so you could also recover what you've lost," she outstretched her hand as she continued as if offering Riku a piece of himself.

"What I've lost?" Riku asked, confused. He didn't feel as if he had lost anything, memories or feelings. At Castle Oblivion, Namine had told Riku that his memories were unaltered. So why would she hint that he had lost some of his? "What –" he began, wanting to ask what she was referring to. Suddenly he remembered her other comment, and its importance overpowered his previous question. "You know Kairi?" he asked, bewildered.

"Knew…" the cloaked woman responded; Riku thought he detected a note of assumed sadness in her tone. "Ask her…about her past," she said, pointing her empty hand to the waterfall near which their meeting place was located. "Maybe she'll remember." She turned again to face Riku but did not make any motion to approach him. However, he decided that this little charade had gone on long enough and moved closer to her, steadily but wary.

At the stranger's recent revelations, Riku connected that she must have been a part of Kairi's past before coming to the islands. Kairi had told him that she remembered some things, but only a little – so little they still couldn't tell what world she was from. So how was he supposed to ask her if she knew someone he could not describe? "Who are you?" he asked, standing his ground, now only a few yards from the shrouded figure, and materializing his keyblade, taking up his ready stance.

Now that Riku was closer to her, he could detect slight facial features; the bottom half of her face was slightly distinguishable beneath her hood. Her lips which were in a set line, showing no hint of the sadness, joy, or annoyance that had been implied during their conversation. However, he didn't have enough time to study her carefully or even see anything of importance with which he could describe her to Kairi or Sora; her eyes, hair and even nose were concealed. Seeming to think that Riku was too close for her comfort, the unknown antagonist began walking backwards slowly. "You shall find out…soon," she said, seeming to stare him down as her steps led her closer to the water.

A path of darkness opened behind her, and she walked back into it, her last sentence ringing in Riku's ears. _Is the Organization not truly defeated?_ The thought frightened him that they may still be at large, planning another scheme. "Hey, wait!" Riku yelled, running after her. But despite his speed, the corridor of darkness disappeared before he reached it, leaving the world the way it had been only momentary minutes before.

Everything was the same – the beach, the ocean, the breeze; but despite the warm sunshine, Riku shuddered, on edge about this mysterious cloaked person. _Who was that? Is the Organization back? An opposite reaction? Are we about to go on another journey?_ Riku withdrew his keyblade and let these thoughts swirl in his mind for a brief time.

Assured that the nameless figure would not return, Riku turned and headed off towards the secret place, resolving to tell neither Sora nor Kairi of the confusing encounter. If the mysterious girl was truly a part of Kairi's past, could remembering her possibly change Kairi as she had hinted? Memories had once changed Sora, and this time Namine wouldn't be here to help. Although he thought this unlikely, Riku didn't want to take the chance.

* * *

_It wasn't long before Riku's suspicions were confirmed; only six weeks later he and Sora were summoned back by the king to show Master Yen Sid the Mark of Mastery and prepare for their greatest challenge yet: the return of Master Xehanort. _

5


	2. Chapter 1: The Storm of Delusion

**The Storm of Delusion**

_I hope they'll be all right…_ The princess's gaze sailed over the waves of the small island, eventually meeting with the horizon. Thoughts of 'what if?' filled her head as she stood on the small island, staring out at the sea. _What am I thinking? Of course they will, _Kairi chided herself, a smile returning to her face. _But they had better not take a year to get back this time,_ she thought, a small laugh escaping her lips. Her smile faded slightly as her eyes turned longingly to the sky. Although Kairi knew where she belonged, the princess of heart wished she could join her recently departed friends. They weren't the only ones who missed the action. With her head leaned back, she closed her eyes, listening to the waves and feeling the comforting light blasts of sea air.

The wind carried not only a refreshing breeze but also the voice of a friend. "Hey! Kairi!" Kairi's eyes shot open, and she turned quickly to see Selphie waving to her from the docks while Tidus and Wakka tied up the boats. Waving back, Kairi quickly ran to meet them, crossing over the bridge, exiting through the seaside shack, and running across the warm sand to meet them on the beach.

Selphie and the others also ran towards her, and the two parties met about halfway on the shore. "Whassup, Kairi?" Wakka said in a cheerful tone, holding his Blitzball under his left arm. All three of the islanders seemed to share his cheerful attitude, their faces displaying smiles as big as the moon.

Their carefree attitude was so contagious Kairi quickly caught it. "Hey, Selphie. Wakka. Tidus," she said, a smile identical to her friends across her face, her Sora-and-Riku worries melting away.

"What are you up to today?" Tidus asked. It wasn't often that Kairi or the others seemed to be doing nothing; ever since they returned a year ago they had never wanted to be bored.

Kairi's answer surprised the three teens. "Nothing really. Just walking around," the seventeen-year-old replied nonchalantly, repositioning a strand of hair that the wind had blown in her face.

"Where's Sora and Riku?" Wakka asked; all three islanders started looking around, scanning the small island for any sign of them. Tidus noted that he had only seen Kairi's boat when they had tied their own to the docks.

Although all six of the kids were friends, Sora, Riku, and Kairi had always been a trio just as Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie were; it was unusual for them to be apart. "Didn't come with you today?" Selphie asked, a small lilt of curiosity and concern in her voice.

"No," Kairi said, a playful, cheerful grin covering her face as she continued, "they had to leave and go on another adventure to save the worlds again."

All four of the teens started laughing. Of all of the people on the islands, only select few were told the story of the three keyblade wielders' adventures; Wakka, Selphie, and Tidus were among that number. "Typical," Tidus said in mock annoyance before all four burst out in even harder laughter. "Well, do you want to hang out with us while they're gone?" Tidus asked after everyone had collected themselves.

This was an offer Kairi was quick to accept. "All right," she said, a shining smile on her face. "What do you want to do?"

The three friends looked at each other for a second, their happy grins now turning into sly smirks. Kairi wondered what this was about, but she didn't have to wait long to find out. Tidus was the one to present the idea. "How about… a game of chase?" he said excitedly; he spoke as if the idea had just popped into his head.

But it obviously hadn't. "You're it!" Selphie yelled as she, Wakka, and Tidus all bolted off in different directions, laughing collectively and leaving Kairi behind quickly.

She quickly realized this was intended but enjoyed the prank. "Hey, not fair!" Kairi yelled jokingly before taking off after them. She had barely started off before a bright and blinding light overtook her, causing her to shield her eyes and stop in her tracks.

It was over in the blink of an eye, but when she reopened hers, her already-open ears caught the sound of a close friend's voice. "Did we make it?" the voice said. Kairi turned quickly as a response to both confusion and satisfaction.

"Sure seems like it," Riku said, answering Sora's question while turning over his sleeves and looking over his outfit. Sora, too, was feeling himself as if making sure he was actually wearing something.

_Those two goofs…_ Kairi thought, not even taking a second to scan them over as they themselves carefully did. "Sora, Riku!" she proclaimed happily, waving to them. It didn't seem like they saw her, for they glanced this way and that, surveying the entire landscape. This was unnecessary – Kairi was barely thirty paces from them.

Kairi ran up to them, no longer paying attention to the game. But the others were. "Hey, Kairi?" Tidus yelled from a ways away, "You're supposed to _chase_ us!" he said, lightheartedly laughing with Wakka and Selphie.

Kairi didn't hear them, or she just choose to ignore them. "I'm so glad you're back," she said, arriving at where Sora and Riku stood near the seaside shack. "But why so soon?" she asked inquisitively, a happy smile on her face. _He promised he be back very soon, but to go from being gone a year to being gone a day is a large difference in time._

"Kairi?" Selphie asked, still standing a distance away but drawing closer; the princess wasn't the only one who was questioning.

Kairi's questions soon mounted when she realized that Sora and Riku had not seemed to hear her, or at least did not acknowledge it. "Nothing's changed," Sora said, turning to look at their clubhouse.

"It never does," Riku responded, turning in the same direction.

"Of course it doesn't," Kairi agreed, stopping for a moment to stare with them at their complex treehouse. Kairi paused for a second not only to wonder why they had not answered her question and had asked such ridiculous ones but to scan them over as they had done moments ago. "But you look like you have," she remarked, referring to their change in appearance. Indeed, it looked as if they had gone through a de-growth spurt; both wore clothes similar to their outfits when they were younger, and their appearance did seem to also have gone back in time by a year or two. "What's with your clo-?"

"Is today the day?" Sora said, much to Kairi's surprise. It wasn't as if Sora was interrupting her, but it almost seemed he had never heard her to begin with.

Riku seemed not to hear her either. "Must be," he stated assuredly, turning towards Sora. The two stood a moment in silence, looking from each other up to the sky.

By now Kairi was more than confused, but it dawned on her that her friends must be playing a trick on her. "Sora…" she said as if calling him from far away; the keyblade wielder did not answer. Considering her conclusion again, she walked around Sora's side and waved her hand in front of his face. "Hellooo…are you dreaming again?" she asked jokingly before sobering once more, "What are you two talking about?"

"Kairi? What are you saying?" Selphie said, laughter in her tone but confusion showing in her face. Tidus, Wakka, and she had steadily come closer but made sure to keep a safe distance away from Kairi – enough to bolt quickly in case of trickery, which they assumed was the case.

Kairi didn't hear her friend's question. She didn't hear their next comments on how her 'acting' wasn't going to make them come any closer; she had all but forgotten about their game of tag. Kairi was absorbed in Sora's and Riku's conversation. "Well, now what do we do?" Sora asked his friend.

"We just wait for nightfall, I guess," Riku said, turning and walking towards the shore. Sora followed suit, and the two friends stood silent for a moment, staring out at the sea.

By now Kairi was annoyed with their game and clearly expressed her displeasure. She ran to Sora's side, cupped her hands and hollered loudly in his ear, "Hey – can you hear me?" She got no response for her efforts, but she kept trying. "What's so big about today?" she yelled, knowing that surely he would her if he could.

The only people that had heard Kairi were Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie. They had begun to wonder what this was, for it didn't seem like this was part of the game anymore. But they couldn't understand Kairi, and with good reason. "What do you mean?" Wakka asked, beginning to worry if Kairi was feeling all right. The others also wondered what in the world Kairi was talking about.

Kairi didn't understand what they were talking about. She looked back at them to see them staring at her quizzically as if she was crazy. They stood a few feet away, and she did not understand why – she would have if she remembered their game. But she didn't, and she didn't care. "Don't you guys see them?" she asked, a small trace of desperation in her tone for someone to listen and respond.

"Who?" Selphie asked, showing no hint of understanding. Kairi wondered if something was wrong with the girl, but as she looked at her friends' faces it was clear none of them comprehended the situation. Their expressions showed no understanding in the least as to what could be happening, almost as if they had been brainwashed or suffered from sudden memory-loss.

"Sora and Riku! They're right –" Kairi said desperately, reaching out to grab Sora's hand. But she missed it; in fact, she missed him entirely. Her hand went right through him like a mirage, the light bending around it. "What? Am I dreaming?" she asked herself, seeing that Sora remained but was unfazed as if nothing had happened – as if nothing was happening at all except for his conversation with Riku.

And that it was, or at least it had resumed. While Kairi had been trying to prove her point, they had begun speaking again, and Kairi had not caught what they had said. Taking her momentary shock to pause, she again tried to listen and caught Riku's words midsentence. "…maybe we can finally do what we were planning to do here that night in the first place."

This was all the silence she had to listen to their conversation before her now-worried friends also forgot about the game and came to her side. "Are you feeling okay?" Tidus asked, inching closer to the redhead islander warily but surely. If she wasn't faking, he assumed the hot sun was getting to her.

"What are you looking at?" Wakka asked, trying to follow Kairi's eyes to some point of interest. But there was nothing there but the wind and the waves, nothing new that would cause Kairi to act like this.

Kairi didn't acknowledge that she had heard them; she was still trying to hear what Riku and Sora were saying. Their conversation confused her, almost as if they were speaking in code. But she could not ignore the questions of the real islanders. "Do you see it?"

"What?" Selphie asked, also trying to follow Kairi's eyes. All three could not see anything but sand, sea, and trees…nothing out of the ordinary – other than Kairi's behavior, of course. Kairi answered them slowly as if in a trance, putting slight pauses in between her sentence. "Sora and Riku are right here, but I can't reach them." She tried again to physically grasp Sora's hair, but she again went right through his head. _Now there's only three things I know could be going on: delusions, mirages, or magic. Hopefully…none of those._

"Sora and Riku?" Wakka asked, clearing his ears in surprise. He looked quizzically at Selphie and Tidus, and they returned the "what-in-the-world-is-going-on" look. Tidus twisted his head this way and that similar to an owl scanning for sound, expecting at any moment see some sort of mirage image of Sora and Riku.

"I don't see them," Selphie replied sadly. She didn't attempt to look for any illusion but assumed immediately that Kairi was sick. She came up behind the princess and put the back of her hand on Kairi's forehead, attempting to feel her temperature.

Kairi instinctively moved away after feeling Selphie's touch before realizing that Selphie seriously thought that Kairi was ill. "Wakka, do you see them?" the islander asked her neighbor, turning to see his expression.

Wakka was caught staring quizzically as Kairi, his glance expressing his answer before he had said it. "No. I don't see anything," he stated strongly, attempting to bring her down from the clouds above he assumed her mind was flying through.

All three friends had different opinions of their friend's condition. "But you see Sora and Riku?" Selphie asked slowly, her slow talking and confused tone attesting that she was trying to understand. But her mind, despite her dialogue, was almost if not fully convinced that Kairi was unwell.

"Yes," Kairi replied firmly to counteract Wakka's own assuredness…as well as to assure herself she wasn't insane. Yet this statement wasn't enough to convince her, and she gazed back at her friends that weren't there. "What is this?" she whispered to herself, self-examining herself before turning her ear back to their conversation.

The princess caught the first of Sora's words. "But, how far can a raft take us?" he asked Riku, continuing to stare out at the open sea. Kairi suddenly had insight to what in the world they were talking about; the three friends had built their first and only raft three years ago just before the islands were destroyed. This news complicated things to a new extreme, making her head hurt just trying to figure it out.

"Who knows?" Riku replied evenly. "If we have to, we'll think of something else." The two resumed their quiet staring; Kairi joined them, staring out at the ocean silently. After a moment of strained silence, Selphie left the group and dashed to the lapping waves, drawing a handkerchief from her pocket. Wetting and ringing out most of the water, she returned to the delusionary princess, hoping the makeshift cooling pack on Kairi's forehead could relieve her strange condition. Tidus had come by Kairi's side and grabbed her forearm, shaking her slightly and calling her name softly as if to wake her from a dream. Wakka stood a short distance away, believing he would be of no use in a medical situation. But when Kairi failed to respond, her friends became desperate for answers and a response from Kairi.

* * *

Kairi didn't see Tidus, Wakka, or Selphie – her mirage had changed. As she stared out at the sea, time seemed to jump dramatically. The ocean waves rose and fell faster, rising to greater heights than before. The sky turned from bright sunlight to a dark, clouded night sky within seconds, and wind blew the trees violently. Riku and Sora, still standing by Kairi's side, began walking towards the cove at a normal pace despite this change in the speed of time. Kairi drank in her surroundings deeply, sinking further into the alternate reality but not noticing her friends' absences.

_It all makes sense now. Why the others are gone. Why only I can see Sora and Riku. Why they seem to be talking nonsense. They're talking about … that night. _

A loud low gong sounded, fully calling Kairi from her reality into one of the past. She heard the sounds and smelled the storm as she had three years ago; she found herself standing on the beach reliving that fateful day. Her strange unexplainable sensation of unseen beings grabbing her arms or touching her head with cold, wet hands did not faze her. Although she did glance as her surroundings, she didn't turn frantically to see the scenery; Kairi knew everything was the same as it had been three years ago – other than the strange church bell sound that repeated regularly every three seconds. This bell was accompanied by a mix of strange vibrations at different pitches and frequencies that constantly rattled Kairi's ears. The noises did not startle her despite them being new; however, the princess did start in surprise when she glanced down at her hands – she could see right through them. _So…I'm the real illusion here_, she thought aloofly, realizing she was completely translucent.

A noise like a strong blast of air caused her to whirl to her left, and she recoiled in surprise to see streams of darkness surrounding her two best friends as they walked off towards the cove. "Sora! Riku!" Kairi shouted, reaching after them before taking off at full speed towards them.

* * *

Back in reality, Riku and Sora were nowhere in sight – the world seemed completely normal except for Kairi. All of Kairi's friends were more than concerned about her when they saw her glazed over glass-like eyes – it was apparent Kairi could not hear or see them. She stood unmoving and unresponsive despite Wakka and Tidus trying to rouse her from her daze and Selphie dabbing Kairi's forehead with the cold cloth. The teens, concerned for their friend's well-being, determined they needed to take Kairi back to the main island.

But when this determination was made, Kairi's silent statue state was broke. Her head turned this way and that, but her eyes focused on nothing. Her dead stare and expressionless state was broken when she looked down at herself, seemingly shocked by her own appearance, something the others did not understand. Wakka attempted to grab Kairi's wrist to lead her back to the boats, yet when they reached for her she whirled around, facing the cove and yelling Sora and Riku's names. Before they could stop her, Kairi had run off with Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus close on her heels.

* * *

Riku and Sora did not increase their speeds, yet as soon as Kairi had said their names and taken off after them her reality returned to her in a flash before alternating back to her dream realm. Yet she didn't stop running even though the distinguished what she saw as unreal. She ran as quickly as she could, but with every moment her reality came back to her more frequently, and she knew she was leaving this alternate reality. However, Kairi understood that what she saw truly _was_ an alternate reality, and her friends really were being consumed by the darkness. Recognizing they were disappearing, Kairi put on one last burst of speed in order to grab them.

Even in reality the last gong was heard before progressing to a new fortissimo. Falling right through her translucent disappearing friends, Kairi staggered to keep her footing before collapsing to the ground, covering her ears from the strikingly loud noise. The other youths had reacted as well, though not falling over despite the ground vibrating with the sound's vibrato. Tidus had crouched over and put his hands to his ears, slowly inching his way closer to Kairi. Wakka had dropped his ball in reaction but stood strong as Selphie leaned up against him, stumbling against the noise. "What's happening?" she screamed, attempting to block the thunderous sound she characterized as some type of gong.

The bright sunny sky instantly seemed to darken as black clouds quickly appeared and covered the sky, giving the islands a grey, dark atmosphere. Quick streaks of blindingly white lightning hit the surrounding area and were followed by a strobe effect of dark black lightning. Accompanied with strong swirling winds, the sand and blew into the faces of the startled teens. Centered over their island, the tempest threatened to rip it to shreds. This gale, unlike any the islanders had ever seen, frightened them enough to close their eyes and just pray they'd wake up in their beds from this nightmare.

The fading ring was replaced by a loud ripping sound in Kairi's ears. Opening her eyes and seeing another vision, the princess leaped to her feet in shock as she viewed the islands she loved so much tearing like paper all around her as if life itself were an illusion. These gashes seemed to rip the sky, land, and sea into dividing partitions similar to broken glass. Ignoring the deafening sounds, she uncovered her ears and cleared her mind, attempting to find the source of the traumatic, uncanny situation. Following one of the emerging tears to its starting point, she saw that all of the jagged slashes had a similar origin just beyond the cove doors to which the illusionary Sora and Riku had been walking before they disappeared. She also noted an underlying swirling noise like a strong windstorm were coming from that direction.

The storm began to give out only a minute after it started, the clouds disappearing as quickly as they had first materialized. Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie slowly began uncovering their ears and opening their eyes to see Kairi dashing off to the cove towards the source of her illusion gashes, something no one else could see. Tidus yelled for Kairi, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. Turning over her shoulder, Kairi did not stop but instead slowed just enough for the other islanders to catch her words. "Guys, they need our help!" she cried, keeping an eye on them while trotting towards the cove.

"What?" Tidus responded loudly, still not getting her references to the illusionary keyblade wielders. Selphie, rattled by the storm, was assisted on rubbery legs by Wakka as the two tried to join Tidus's side.

Kairi wasted no more time, yelling over her shoulder again before dashing off once more. "Just come on!" she implored as she reached the cove door, threw it open and dashed through, leaving it ajar. All three islanders had no clue what had happened, but they believed Kairi had an idea of the recent event's cause. So, exchanging nervous, worried glances and shrugs of obliviousness, they dashed after her to the cove as fast as their shaking legs could carry them. Reaching the cove, they had difficulty stopping quickly to keep from running into Kairi, who was frozen in a dead stare, pale and shivering.

"Who needs our help?" Tidus asked short of breath before gazing at what Kairi starred at. All four teenagers also seemed instantly paralyzed by fear, their face paling and their body shaking in shock. The storm had ceased and the noise withdrawn, but the state of fear that had produced differed greatly from their current reactions of paralysis.

Kairi was the first to speak after a few moments of shocked silence. "Correction. _We_ need help," she answered uneasily as she stared into an unfamiliar blackness darker than anything she had seen before.


	3. Chapter 2: The Battle of Destiny

**CHAPTER 2**

_**The Battle of Destiny**_

Although the storm had vanished almost instantly, the wind blew strongly and sucked sand and loose leaves into the portal – everything pulled in instantly turned to darkness upon contact with the vortex's frame. The pull wasn't strong enough to yank the four steady teens inside, but streams of darkness left over from the storm's lightning strikes amassed at the portal, causing it to slowly but steadily grow.

The dimension shifted as if illusionary but kept the same general form, appearing as a counterpart impression of Destiny Islands devoid of light but reflected by a mirror. The scene was similar to that of the night of the storm, but every aspect of the world seemed to be completely composed of darkness – the clouds, the trees, even the sand. In this dimension the cove wall was destroyed, so the islanders could see down the length of the beach to the far end of the dark island. Not a soul was to be seen; the dark reflection of the islands appeared uninhabited, forbidding and unsettling – a void of nightmares.

All four teens were momentarily paralyzed in fear, but curiosity quickly tugged at Wakka and Kairi's minds while Tidus and Selphie remained cautious. "What is this?" said the blitzball playing boy, holding his ball in his left hand while trying to inch closer to see. However, Selphie kept a firm nervous grip on his right arm and did not let him leave her side.

Kairi, unrestrained, donned a mask of inquisitive bravery and replied assuredly even though she shook inside at the presence of the dark vortex. "Let's check it out," she suggested as she creeped warily closer to the portal's entrance. Reaching the edge of the portal, the light princess poked her hand into this unfamiliar realm followed by her head, turning her head this way and that to view the full extent of its gloom.

Tidus wasn't as assured as Kairi. Although he had always been closer to Wakka and Selphie, he still felt responsible for Kairi's safety, especially since Sora and Riku were both gone. He started after her, saying, "I'm not so sure we –"

He never finished his statement. On the other side of the portal, a large, dark, neon-marked monster resembling a tyrannosaurus rex sauntered into view from behind the stone outcropping that completed the cove wall. Spotting the princess of heart with its bright red eyes, it roared loudly at her, the deafening shockwaves spreading out in every direction. Surprised and alarmed, Kairi was quick to back away from the portal's entrance and take up a defensive stance. At the monster's battle cry, at least one hundred more monsters were summoned to its side in small bursts of light. All were different kinds of animal-looking creatures, some appearing like big cats, dinosaurs, or raptors while others seemed to be varieties of horses, pandas and domestic cats – there was even dragons and flying fish. Despite their differences, they all had various styles of dark colorings, red glowing eyes, and a mark like that of a heartless symbol with bat wings somewhere on their abnormal forms.

"What are those things?" Selphie queried aloud, terrified by their bizarre appearances and anxious for their impending attack. With another thunderous outcry of various animal shrieks, roars, and growls, the monsters dashed for the portal, causing all of the islanders to quickly draw their various 'weapons' in self-defense. In truth, none truly had a weapon but Kairi, who summoned her keyblade and took up her battle stance. Wakka still fought with his blitzball which he constantly carried under his arm. Selphie's jump rope had been replaced with a longer, wire-woven jump rope that she now untied from around her waist as it also acted as a decorative belt, the copper color complimenting her yellow dress. Tidus' weapon was now a hollow iron bar that extended from a collapsible form; he pulled it from his pocket and locked it into its full length with a snap of the wrist, ready for the engagement.

As the creatures leaped through the portal, time seemed to slow. The black sand-like darkness from the portal's sides consumed the beasts as if scraping off their old skin. While they crossed over to the alternate reality, the darkness of the portal pulled off the outer hide of the beasts and revealed their distorted ink black or variously colored appearances. Many kept similar coloring and body shapes as their previous states, but others changed more dramatically, fusing horns, growing and losing tails, enlarging in size, or gaining complete new body structures. The smaller creatures' new configurations were revealed almost instantly while more complex creatures took more time to develop their new structures, appearing as dark clouds molding to different beasts. The various unrecognizable creatures had changed forms drastically and taken shapes Kairi recognized well.

"Heartless!?" she yelled in surprise. Indeed, in front of them now stood a variety of pureblood and emblem Heartless, poised and ready to strike. The developed monsters wasted no time in constructing attack groups, fluently breaking up into groups based on type and skill. As the Shadows launched their first attack, Kairi selected an offensive defense, knocking them away with magic before counterattacking with the skillful blows she had practiced with Sora and Riku for the past year. Wakka, Selphie, and Tidus were hesitant and stuck to defensive maneuvers, knocking back a few of the attacking creatures but being unable to kill them.

Less than a minute later, Wakka assessed the direness of their current situation. He, Tidus and Selphie, although able in combat, were not as anxious to fight or as skilled as Kairi was and were already beginning to falter in some ways, taking a few blows from the synchronized Neoshadows' spinning air attacks. Noting that the portal continued to steadily grow and the large Heartless were nearly formed, he recognized that escape would soon be close to impossible. "Let's get out of here!" Wakka yelled to Tidus, grabbing Selphie's wrist and leading her to the door while Tidus dashed out alone.

"Wait, Kairi!" Selphie exclaimed, looking back and losing her footing, tripping on a jutting rock. Assuming that Kairi was right behind him, Tidus had dashed out without checking, his instinct turning to that of his own safety. Instead, the princess had stayed behind, continuing to fight more evolved forms of heartless such as Sky Grapplers and Large Bodies while sustaining few minor strikes, moving quickly to avoid getting hurt.

However, the large tyrannosaurus-like beast continued to evolve, and Wakka did not want to stick around to see its new form. "Tidus, grab her!" Wakka yelled, helping Selphie to her feet while knocking away a two Shadows and a Bit Sniper heartless approaching her. Tidus nodded solemnly before dashing back into the fray, striking two Neoshadow heartless approaching Kairi from behind.

A long involved combo attack of Kairi's against two Zip Slashers provided a short lull in the battle; this gave Tidus the opportunity to grab her wrist and get her attention as she seemed deaf to Wakka's orders. "Let's go!" he yelled, trying to drag her along. She held to her position, trying to stay behind and continue to combat the creatures. At this point the t-rex, now looking similar to a Dark Hide heartless (with a slightly more contrasting coloration), completed its transformation and, fully operational, reared onto its hind legs, roaring so loudly the vibrations knocked loose parts of the pier down into the water. Startled due to being briefly inattentive, Kairi staggered back in surprise. "Now!" the terrified Tidus demanded, gaining the upper hand from Kairi's stumble and tugging the resistant princess of heart behind him.

Wakka and Selphie were waiting behind the cove wall for their two other compatriots. "Hurry!" Wakka urged from the other side of the wall, ready to slam the door shut as soon as the two stragglers made it through.

Tidus, although slowed by Kairi's hesitancy, found it best to tug on her arms in small bursts to keep her from regaining a foothold with which to take a stand. "Let go!" she cried desperately, looking back at the creatures almost longingly. A few Shadows dissolved into the ground, following the refugees as dark circles at the surface.

Tidus turned a deaf ear to her pleas, caring more about her safety than her wishes. After dashing through the door, he got a running start while Wakka and Selphie closed and boarded the door before following suit. Kairi continued to resist, attempting to wiggle her hand out of Tidus' grasp. In an effort to assist Tidus, Wakka came up behind Kairi and pushed her forward, causing her to stumble and keep moving. "Just run!" Selphie screamed, staying beside Wakka who kept her pace to keep her safe.

The Shadows weren't just going to let perfectly good hearts get away. Coming up from behind, they solidified themselves in front of the group, stopping the teens in their tracks. Finally breaking free, Kairi destroyed the four Shadows in only two strikes of her keyblade, causing them to dissolve. Turning to run back to the cove, Kairi was surprised to see no other heartless following them; even the flying creatures didn't pursue. This brief surprise gave Wakka a moment to grab her arm, twirl her around towards the docks, and push her forward again. "Hey, wait a minute!" Kairi yelled, again attempting to struggle free as Tidus clenched her wrist in a vise-like grip.

"Guys, stop it!" Kairi pleaded, having a different perspective of the situation than they did. She knew that Heartless did not stop until a world was consumed, so running would not solve the problem. She wanted to escape this trap, yet she refused to use her keyblade on her own friends. Looking for a new angle to escape, she dug her feet in the sand and leaned back almost to a sitting position while grabbing Tidus' wrist and twisting it back to herself, putting pressure on the tendon. Tidus released her in his brief burst of pain, causing her to fall backwards due to throwing her weight back. However, having practiced agility throughout the year, she easily rolled over her right shoulder as she fell, leaping up almost instantly.

Seeing Kairi's escape, Wakka and Tidus both made another grab for Kairi's wrist while Selphie ran on the dock. "Stop!" Kairi cried, leaping back far enough away to avoid capture. In their hastiness, Wakka and Tidus accidentally banged heads before staggering back, holding their heads in slight discomfort and giving Kairi the opportunity to plead her case. "We can't leave – we need to fight!"

"If we fight we won't leave – ever!" Tidus yelled in response, recovering and dashing again for the princess. Kairi simply turned and ran towards the cove, and the teen knew he would not stop her in time. "There's just too many of them!" he exclaimed loudly, hoping to dissuade her.

She had the same goal in mind – to dissuade her friends. Stopping a distance away, she turned to face them, replying, "We're all that stands between them and the main island; we have to fight to protect our home. If we don't stop them now, who will?"

"But we can't stop them!" declared Selphie, jumping off the dock and joining Wakka's side. "No matter how many we destroy, they'll just keep coming through that portal."

"Kairi, behind you!" Wakka yelled abruptly, spotting a pack of Shadow Heartless coming up after her. Materializing her flowered keyblade in her right hand, she turned quickly and swung at two of the Shadows emerging from the ground, destroying them in one fair swoop. Taking a quick combo against a third, she took up a battle stance, now facing the cove.

"Then we take out the portal," Kairi proclaimed, staring past the oncoming Neoshadow pack at the cove door. The heartless were finally tracking the heroes and flew over or dug under the wall, making their way across the beach. "If we don't, they'll just keep coming until they destroy the islands just like last time." Neoshadows confronted her, and a Sky Grappler flew in, hovering just above the ground. After shooting it down with a Blizzara spell, she initiated a strong magic and keyblade combo against the Heartless creatures, meeting their initial attacks with a strong reflective shield before destroying them with her unexpectedly strong combos. Without turning back, she knew the others were still hesitant. "You guys go if you need to, but I can't lose my home, not again! I'm fighting!" And with that the princess dashed off to destroy the dark embodiments, leaving her three friends in the dust with looks of hopelessness and indecisiveness.

Kairi did not stop to consider her chances or plan ahead. Instead, she rushed into the battle full speed, attacking Large Bodies by surprise and combating with the few Zip Slashers fairly. Having asked Sora and Riku many questions from their adventures, she recognized many types of the Heartless and exploited their known weaknesses quickly. As she fought, Kairi realized that many varieties of creatures had completely disappeared. For example, the cat, fish, giraffe, eagle, and panda creatures that had turned into Shadows, Bit Snipers, Neoshadows, Sky Grapplers, and Large Bodies upon emerging from the portal were only half of the creatures that had emerged from the portal. There had been multiple saber tooth tigers, dragons, and lions that crossed the border, but now few Zip Slashers, Phantomtails, and Living Bones remained. Kairi also had yet to see trace of the Triceratops dinosaurs that had turned into Destroyed Behemoths or the T-Rex Dark Hide.

But Kairi didn't give this much thought, focusing fully on destroying all the remaining Heartless. However, having no backup or true plan of attack, she failed to realize the plot of the Neoshadows and only recognized the trap after they had surrounded her. Maintaining a battle stance, she rotated in their circle, trying to keep an eye on all of them at once. Although Kairi was assured of her task, her mind was instantly implanted with doubts as her current situation did not resolve.

* * *

Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie all stood on the shore, watching Kairi dash off to fight the Heartless. Staring doubtfully at each other, their minds all acted as one, conflicted by their concerned thoughts and their fear for Kairi's safety. Knowing Kairi was in the right, they still hesitated to join her, knowing they could not hold up as well as a keyblade wielder.

But Kairi was a friend, and this outweighed their fear of failure. "Come 'on," Tidus instructed determinedly, clutching his weapon close as he dashed across the hot sand to the battle's edge. Selphie and Wakka were close by, each drawing their own weapons in determination to fight for their island. With this new mindset, all three fought with a power not seen before, for although they were capable of combat, a hesitant heart weakens a hero. Gaining confidence by defeating Shadows, they worked together seamlessly as they always had when fighting tag team style, working further across the beach face.

Their skill level was first tested by a group of Neoshadows and Sky Grapplers that stood in their way. All three combated well together, but despite their coordination they still sustained some minor blows from the Sky Grapplers' smash attacks and the Neoshadows' portal usage. Despite this, they had improved plenty in the last two years and were more than capable of combatting the Heartless. When the beast's numbers had dwindled to about five – one-fifth the original number they faced, Tidus took his attention away from the combat for a moment to find Kairi. Seeing her being surrounded by Neoshadows, he realized the direness of the situation she had gotten herself into.

A Sky Grappler, seeing his brief distraction, charged at him headfirst. Noticing the assault, Tidus blocked the creature with his rod only to have the Grappler grab his rod and attempt to tear it from his grasp. Knowing he was now preoccupied, he spotted Wakka just fetching his blitzball after nailing another Sky Grappler, which fled back to the security of darkness. "Wakka, go help Kairi!" he demanded, struggling to keep a good grip on his weapon. Nodding, Wakka turned and ran off, heading towards the ambush. Finally breaking the Grappler's hold, Tidus sliced the beast's back downward, launching it a surprising distance. The beast ran into the ground unmoving before disappearing in a small dark cloud.

Taking the moment to look for Selphie, he found her dealing with three Neoshadows at once a short distance ahead. Despite her determined appearance, he knew she would feel more comfortable fighting with someone else. Running up behind her, he drew his weapon and joined her side, helping her quickly knock the three ugly vermin away until they were dissuaded. As they disappeared into darkness, Selphie and Tidus turned to each other, nodding in turn that each were unscathed. "Let's go!" Tidus encouraged, running with Selphie towards their friends.

A small portal of darkness was all the warning they had to dodge. While Selphie rolled forwards, Tidus flipped back to avoid slamming straight into the Zip Slasher. Seeing Tidus had been stopped, Selphie turned to aid him. "I'll take care of him. You help the others," he commanded, taking up his battle stance again. Nodding, Selphie dashed off, leaving Tidus to face-off against the dual-bladed fiend.

As the two first clashed together, it was clear that the Zip Slasher was stronger, easily holding Tidus in a deadlock when their weapons collided. After blocking the islander's rod with a cross block, the heartless knocked Tidus away; however, he quickly recovered himself and struck from the Zip Slasher's side. Getting a hit, Tidus was not fully prepared for its spinning attack; though he blocked the blade from hitting his neck, he was knocked forward by the strong blow. Scrambling to recover and regain a fighting position, he was quickly forced to dodge as the Zip Slasher lunged at him. Taking his sidelong position to activate an upward strike combo, he managed to land a few blows before the Zip Slasher flipped back, putting some distance between them and giving Tidus the opportunity to assess his opponent's abilities. _So… it's strong, has a quick combo, and can block or dodge attacks pretty easily. This will be an interesting fight. _

And he engaged his opponent again.

* * *

Unsure whether attacking or waiting for attack was wiser, Kairi continued to circle, wary of all her surroundings; even being trapped in this condition for only ten seconds had begun to make her anxious. Hearing approaching footsteps, she turned enough to see three Neoshadows halfway in their spiraling descent upon her be knocked away by a spinning air ball attack from Wakka, sending the three attackers sprawling before rejoining the group. "Wakka?!" Kairi asked in surprise, assuming he and the others had gone back.

"I won't let these creatures hurt my family or friends," Wakka said assuredly, his back to Kairi's as the two slowly circled, keeping an eye on the opposing Heartless. The eleven Neoshadows were soon reinforced by a round of Shadows, making their circle of doom larger; however, they seemed to wait longer, still hesitant to attack although drawing slowly closer. A few shadows on Kairi's right flank tried to rush the two warriors but were instantly knocked from behind by a whirling whip-like rope.

Selphie joined the duo in the center, facing the outer wall of enemies. "No way we'd let you fight this alone, Kairi!" she said reassuringly, whip in hand and battle ready, a smile across her face with disregard to their perilous position.

Despite hoping for this change of hearts, Kairi had not expected it as she knew the others were not as thrill-seeking as she and the other keyblade wielders. "Thanks, guys!" she yelled other her shoulder, concentrating all the more on the Heartless as a ring of Large Bodies soon surrounded the group as well.

"So what's your plan?" Wakka asked Kairi, glancing over his shoulder for a brief second. A reckless Shadow dashed at him, but he reacted quickly and lunged at it, forcing it back again. The restless primitive Heartless were clearly anxious to attack but still hesitant, unnatural to their usual nature.

_Wait…he's right. I don't have a plan,_ Kairi realized, amazed by her own reckless fighting. Her thoughts turned towards rationalism as she thought through her solution. Assuming the portal was still open and growing, she also had to guess by the number of Heartless that more were still flowing in their world. _We've got to close that portal. Who knows? Maybe even that will get rid of all the Heartless. But how?_

Noticing her silence, both Selphie and Wakka waited patiently, knowing she had just been acting on the spur of the moment. They circled silently and attentively, staring down the dark creatures while pushing them back if they dared come forward. Yet even while doing this their circle became more compressed the longer they waited. Finally her answer came. "This is a keyblade;" Kairi stated, gripping her keyblade tighter as she spoke and circled, "it can close anything, maybe even the portal."

Catching the moves of a Shadow in her peripheral vision, she saw in the sand a shadow of an overpassing figure. Looking up to see Tidus coming down hard on the dark heart, he crushed it with a downward swipe, causing it to fade away.

After ending his battle with the Zip Slasher victorious, Tidus had approached the group from the back and attacked a Large Body's stubby legs from behind, making it lose its balance and fall on its butt. Jumping on its big, fat belly as if it were a trampoline, he flipped over the other Heartless in order to join the others in the circle, catching the last part of Kairi's statement.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Tidus asking, turning back to the group as if not knowing why in the world they stood ready for passive attack instead of being the active aggressors in this situation. After all, their world was the one being attacked right now.

The three other teens nodded at his enthusiasm, and like a trigger being pulled attacked the heartless in their respective sectors. Kairi and Tidus knocked out all the enemies in their sectors quicker that Selphie and Wakka did and helped their respective comrades defeat their own adversaries before all four islanders advanced towards the cove.

Despite Kairi usually hanging out with Sora and Riku, her skill allowed her to work well with the other three. In fact, the four warriors worked together as if they had their whole lives, mastering partner and group combos in only a few tries. Although Kairi was the only one that could truly eliminate the Heartless, the other three were very successful in insistently damaging the Heartless until they faded back into the darkness to avoid the persistent blows. And although the others did not have true weapons, they were still capable of basic magic spells Riku and Sora had taught them all. Finally, the heartless seemed to concentrate their strikes at Kairi due to her possessing the keyblade; for this reason the more difficult types of Heartless challenged her while the simpler forms attacked the other islanders.

Before our heroes approached the seaside shack, the fighting intensified drastically. One of the few Phantomtails remaining, seeing the approaching heroes, took to the sky again and fired a super laser, causing the teens to have to leap, roll, and run out of the way as the orbs pursued them. As the winged beast banked and came back around for another strike, Kairi attempted to strike its underbelly while it passed overhead. However, seeming to predict this, the Phantomtail initiated a mid-air spin that the airborne princess was not able to avoid. Though she tried to block the attack, her strength was insufficient as the blow flung Kairi away and pitched her to the ground.

"Kairi!" Tidus yelled, seeing that she did not immediately recover from her tumble. Running to her side to help her, he quickly knocked away the Bit Snipers that had quickly surrounded her. He kneeled next to her as she sat on her knees. "You okay?" he asked worriedly.

"My keyblade…" Kairi stated, her mind seeming to drift from place to place just as her gaze did. _She must have some type of head trauma,_ Tidus thought fearfully. Knowing she needed her keyblade to cast a heal spell (something he had yet to replicate), he swiftly searched and found it about ten yards away surrounded by Shadows. Disposing of them quickly and clutching the keyblade, he felt a strange strong power coursing through it, a strength his own weapon didn't give him. Disregarding his initial want for this ability, he ran back to her side and offered his hand to her. Taking his hand and her keyblade and leaning against him for support, she slowly cast the Cura healing spell, regained her health and focus, and was again ready for combat.

During this, Selphie, although concerned for Kairi, kept an eye on the Phantomtail as it flipped upside down and ascended again, recharging his super laser from a height unreachable by their weapons. Knowing they could not combat it as long as it remained in the air, Selphie intended to bring it down to earth before it could fire its seeking lasers at her preoccupied comrades. "Wakka! Lift me up!" she demanded, pointing at the monster while glancing over at her partner a few feet away.

"Got it!" Wakka replied, also witnessing the recent events. Grabbing her waist with both hands, he thrust her up into the sky as she pushed with her legs, giving her quite a bit of height on the jump. Despite launching herself in the direction of the beast, she was still not close enough to land on its back. Thinking quickly, she used her jump rope to hook the Phantomtail's left head horn and, being successful, used it to swing herself up on its neck.

The beast was not aware of Selphie's actions until she landed on its head, and before it could do anything Selphie had used her jump rope as reins through its open charging mouth. Yanking the monstrosity's neck towards the sky, Selphie managed to misfire its lasers aimed at Kairi up to the clouds, causing the lasers to have no target and simply disappear from sight. Selphie, her wire rope belt remaining unbroken and unburned in the creature's mouth, continued to shove the Heartless to her liking, yanking it up continually until its head followed its body to the point where the beast was upside-down, falling to the island.

Holding one end of her jump rope, Selphie tried to leap clear of the falling Heartless and land to safety on the soft beach sand. However, the other handle of her whip-like rope got caught in the jaw of the Phantomtail and yanked her back. The handle was released at the first shock, and Selphie had put enough distance between them to be safe of its collision with earth. However, her balance was completely thrown off and her landing was ungraceful to say the least.

Wakka, who had been preoccupied with a small herd of Shadows and Bit Snipers, he used a basic thunder spell to quickly disarm all the surrounding Bit Snipers and a quick physical attack to get rid of them before helping Selphie out of the sand. Shaking the sand out of her hair and accepting Wakka's hand of assistance, she stood up shakily on sore rubbed knees. Getting an inquisitive "are-you-okay?" look from Wakka, Selphie nodded in mock assurance, not letting him know all the painful bruises, tender muscles, and hurt bones she had gotten from the fall. Putting her aches aside, she retrieved her half-buried jump rope from the shore before dashing with Wakka towards the Phantomtail, attempting to get as many attacks in as possible while it remained stunned and unable to turn right side up.

After Kairi recovered, she and Tidus acted as a tag team as well, trying to progress ahead further. Although the common Shadows and Neoshadows attacked, larger, fiercer Heartless were drawn to Kairi's keyblade. The few remaining Zip Slashers formed a small squad and attacked the princess and her compatriot in rounds. The combat was tough, but Kairi's extensive use of magic and physical attacks worked well with Tidus' carefully honed, targeted strikes to the Zip Slashers weak spots determined in his one-on-one battle previously. Their numbers soon dwindled down to nothing as Kairi finished each off with a powerful dexterous swipe of her blade, assuring they would not return.

A brief lull in the fight allowed Kairi to catch her breath and assess her condition. Finding all her injuries to be only minor scratches or bruises, she looked over at Tidus, stunned to see him lying on the ground, blacked out. Dashing to his side, she realized that although fighting with him she had not paid full attention to his exhaustion levels. Although able to cast minor spells, not having a keyblade wore him down easily as magic was difficult to use as the keyblade enhanced the strength of the user and prevented them from wearing down with the use of spells. _I was so concerned about myself…never again. From now on, I'll focus more on my allies. _

Using a Cura spell on him, she waited patiently for him to awake, knowing how this constant 'useless' fighting must have taken its toll. As he started to stir, the princess was startled by the roar of a Living Bone almost upon her. Blocking its swinging tail blow with a Reflera shield, she struck with such force and offense that the Heartless was obliterated before it could put up another frontal attack against the recovering island boy.

Looking back at Tidus, she saw him kneeling unharmed, quickly regaining his strength. Coming to his side on one knee, she offered a hand and assisted him to his feet. Nodding in reassurance, Tidus enjoyed the clarity and strength the healing spell gave him and rationed his strength in preparation for the even harder fights up ahead. _We still have yet to see that large one again._ Looking about for enemies, he was shocked to see no approaching Heartless. Instead, Shadows were on the upper bridge and adjoined island. Realizing their new target, he called it to Kairi's attention. "Kairi! The paupu trees!"

Turning to see, the princess of heart watched as the fruits rumored to connect destinies were torn down from the trees by the monstrosities. _Of course…_ Kairi thought, _they're rumored to connect hearts. If the heartless look for hearts, they also would attack things that connect them as well. _And as the princess of heart, she refused to let those monsters destroy the precious, rare fruit. "Right!" Kairi replied, looking back to Tidus before the two dashed towards the bridge. Knowing she would need help to land on the quickly approaching bridge, Kairi entreated Tidus' assistance. "Give me a boost?"

"Yep!" Tidus responded quickly, running a short distance ahead before planting his feet, intertwining his fingers, and cupping his hands as a foothold for Kairi, who quickly dashed at him, not slowing in order to keep her momentum for the leap. Landing on Tidus' hand with a left foot lunge, she thrust herself up to the sky while Tidus pushed her upward, giving her enough height and forward momentum to land on the bridge with ease.

Sticking to a simple spin landing and basic attacks, she defeated the Heartless surrounding her, forming a brief perimeter of safety. Focusing again on Tidus, she was not surprised to find he had moved from the north side of the bridge and was now out of sight. Scrambling to the right side of the bridge on her knees, she quickly spotted him below the overpass knocking away a few Heartless she had knocked off the overpass instead of completely eliminated. _I won't leave my partner behind,_ Kairi determined, sealing her new vow in her mind.

"Here, come up," she implored, offering him a hand as far down as she could let it hang without falling over the edge of the tall bridge. Spotting his ally, Tidus nodded and dashed for her hand, grabbing it tightly. Kairi took advantage of his momentum and used both her arms to throw Tidus over her head onto the bridge, having previously braced herself to carry his weight. Landing in a deep stance from a shallow front flip, Tidus smiled at Kairi before both got back to work.

The two charged at the Shadows on the small adjoined island, intent on saving the vital stars. Knowing only Kairi could truly eradicate the Heartless, Tidus wished for her to focus on the ones in the trees. "I've got these!" he declared as they dashed at the Heartless that had yet to scale the palms. Hesitant to leave Tidus due to her vow, she stayed behind and struck two of the heartless approaching her, prompting Tidus to command her again. "Go!" he implored, "Focus on the tree-scaling Shadows." Reluctantly accepting this command, she set in her mind that he would not fight for the task if he did not feel capable. Determining she would be close enough to assist him at a moment's notice, Kairi flipped beautifully over the approaching swarm and left them in Tidus' hands.

Landing directly next to the palm trees, she quickly scaled their resilient trunks to finish off the Heartless resting at the tree's crowns gnawing at the paupu's supportive stems. Meanwhile, Tidus knocked away the primitive Shadow forms with ease, taking no blows yet dishing out many simple attacks in an attempt to conserve energy for more challenging enemies.

Both completed their tasks at the same time, Kairi clearing out all of the paupu trees while Tidus bashed every dark heart on the ground. Relieved at Tidus' well-being, Kairi recognized that although she was serious about her new creeds, she also shouldn't undermine her partner's abilities. Carefully shimmying down the last tree before leaping to the ground, she dashed to Tidus' side on the overpass before both broke out in wide smiles and exchanged fist bumps of victorious excitement.

"Tidus, Kairi!" Wakka called out desperately – the battle was far from over. After dissuading the charging Phantomtail, Wakka and Selphie had turned their attention towards advancement on the beach face. While Kairi and Tidus fought with Shadows, Wakka and Selphie were suddenly ambushed by a surplus of Large Bodies accompanied by a few Living Bones. Despite being activists and aggressive, the two teens were forced to go on the defensive to even keep their heads on. But even their strong defense combined with basic magic did not keep Wakka and Selphie from tiring and sustaining a few blows. At their current rate of decline, they didn't have much time left.

Recognizing their jeopardy, Tidus and Kairi wasted no time in leaping from the island bridge, Kairi landing with a forward roll. Sprinting towards their compatriots as fast as they could, they whacked away and ignored their brief delaying Shadows in order to help out their comrades. Four Living Bones now surrounded the two teens who had worked their way within almost a dashing distance of the cove door; the closer Kairi and Tidus got to them, the direr Selphie and Wakka's situation seemed to be. Though they were able to dissuade one of the creatures, both Selphie and Wakka appeared exhausted, Selphie – having less strength to begin with – dwindling on the edge of collapse. Despite their close proximity of only twenty paces – almost close enough to cast a Cura spell on her friends, Kairi and Tidus, were slowed by pestering and provoking Neoshadows and Large Bodies from joining their friends. Tired of the deferrals, Kairi used an Aerora spell on the surrounding Heartless to blow them back and cause a lull in the battle long enough for her and Tidus to escape the fray and assist their other friends.

The princess of heart was just a second too late. One Living Bone, seeing Selphie's weakness, took advantage of her exhaustion by taking a few swipes at her head, causing her to duck. However, the spinning attack from the monster's boulder-like tail was too much for Selphie to dodge, and the hard blow applied directly to the side of her head sent her flying and rolling in the sand until she rested unmoving on the battlefield. "Selphie!" Wakka cried, diverting his attention away from his combat with the other two remaining Living Bones. Receiving a blow similar to Selphie's knockout strike as a result, he had enough reaction time to block his face, downgrading the effectiveness of the attack but losing the grip on his blitzball as a result. Wakka was knocked back towards Selphie, struggling to get up and holding his right shoulder in pain from the gash, defenseless and drained.

Kairi and Tidus were quick in following the action, both invigorated with anger at this new development. Tidus immediately targeted and bashed the top of a Selphie's attacker's head before throwing it down hard on its back. Kairi powerfully struck the other two monsters with quick controlled strikes before using an intermediate Fira spell on all three heartless, destroying the last of the Living Bones with a loud roar. Tidus quickly recovered Wakka's weapon before running to help him stand on his feet. Meanwhile, Kairi cast Cura spells on both of their wounded comrades after defeating the few Shadows that had been quick to surround them. Wakka was quick to react, soaking in the healing potion's power in moments and regaining his composure. Selphie, however, did not stir at the effect of the healing herbs but remained as still as death.

Leaning over her friend, Kairi picked up the dainty flower that was Selphie, supporting her in her arms, fear and concern controlling her emotions. The group was suddenly surrounded by Neoshadows emerging from portals in the ground; Tidus and Wakka quickly guarded the two girls, possessing a new spirit of protective instincts combined with a rebirth of caution. Holding her breath while checking the islander's vitals, the princess was overjoyed to find Selphie remained alive. However, it was obvious she would not awaken anytime soon. "She's out like a light, but she's alive," Kairi confirmed happily before sobering, noting their new precarious situation they seemed good at getting themselves into.

Kairi gently laid Selphie down before joining the perimeter. The encircling enemy lines were reinforced by a number of Shadows and a few remaining Large Bodies, though the Neoshadows did the quantity of the attacking. Two Phantomtails and a few Sky Grapplers flew overhead, yet they did nothing, seeming to assume the lesser Heartless would easily finish the islanders off. Together the three teens fought like their lives defended on it – because they did.

However, they no longer fought with one mind; Tidus and Wakka were dissuaded and united in their original cause. "We have to go!" Tidus insisted, taking another swing at a Neoshadow. The monster teleported under the ground again while another used a portal to grab at Tidus' legs, causing him to leap back quickly to the somewhat security of the group.

Kairi was shocked; she thought for sure they had been on the same page: close the portal, defeat the heartless. "We can't!" she cried desperately, sending the two boys a glare of upset disapproval despite hope dwindling in her own heart. Her brief inattentiveness opened the shallow window for a Neoshadow duo to rush Selphie for her heart with a spinning aerial dive, but Kairi prevented the attack from being carried out with a Reflera spell followed by a quick simple combo with her keyblade.

"But we can't leave her here!" Wakka insisted. While Tidus and Kairi were the polar opposites of this argument, Wakka took the role of the logical negotiator between the two opposing parties. "And how are we supposed to fight while protecting her?" he asked, turning his attention back to an attacking Neoshadow, blocking its overhead swipe by crossing his arms over his head. Weak compared to this fresh Neoshadow, Wakka's block lost its power quickly, forcing him to improvise and kick the Neoshadow back before its claws could scrape his head.

Kairi saw the light to this point of view, yet she refused to let go of her dwindling hope or give up on the power of light over darkness. "You watch her. I'll go on ahead," she stated firmly, stepping out towards the cove entrance while unleashing a Thundara spell on the enemies, giving her time to dash. "We're so close," she insisted desperately, dashing off to the heart of the monster.

"No!" No sooner had she started off than Tidus grabbed her hand tightly, refusing to let her dash off alone. "We have to go together," he declared to the resistant princess, though she did not struggle as much as before, seemingly seeing their point of view. "What good is getting there and then falling?" Kairi stopped squirming, but she refused to look Tidus in the eye.

At this point Wakka, whom had been left to defend Selphie alone during their squabble, interrupted their conversation with his own input. "We tried, but we aren't strong enough," he remarked mildly, attempting to focus on all the enemies attacking at once. Preforming three spinning attacks consecutively, the blitzball boy successfully knocked away three melee attacking Neoshadows before throwing his ball at one ready to dive aerially. However, their numbers kept coming and mentally overwhelmed the usually calm teenager. "There's just too many," he claimed, fear and desperation evident in his last statement. Tidus took this as a cue to help and, trusting Kairi was seeing the light of their situation, released her hand and took up a defensive wall next to Wakka, charging three Neoshadows back to their companions, their line growing ever closer and thicker.

Kairi also reengaged in the fight, although halfheartedly. Tidus and Wakka took one half of the enemies, leaving Kairi to deal with the rest. Unlocking some of her distorted anger as power, she unleashed a long involved combo on the surrounding enemies, providing another small break in the battle. She took this time to survey her surroundings. Her sad despairing eyes wandered from the blocked cove door to the surrounding Heartless to the weary Wakka and Tidus until they finally rested on the unconscious Selphie. "I can't accept this," she said miserably, feeling as if their fight was all for nothing. Rolling out of the way of a Large Bodies' large claw, she followed up her dodge with a strong Blizzara spell, knocking the fat heartless back into three others behind it like a bowling ball.

Wakka, although having opposing thoughts, was sympathetic to their poor friend. Her dodge roll had put her close to his side, so as Tidus attacked with a combo, Wakka took the moment to put a reassuring hand on Kairi's shoulder. "There may still be a way," he said softly and kindly, knowing her heart was in the right place. "But this isn't it." His little break over, he left to take care of Kairi's half of the Heartless while Tidus worked on his half, giving Kairi time to think.

While the princess of heart contemplated their situation and the appropriate action while continuing to clash with the Heartless, Kairi realized how much they had all changed in the past three years before any of this mess. Of course, their appearance and wardrobe had altered and their skills had been improved, but the true change was in their character. Though they were once close to kindred spirits, Kairi was now much different than the other islander children; she was a wanderer of the worlds, wishing to rid all darkness from them. The other children were homebodies by comparison, content with remaining in their small world with no change. Yet even though their personalities had changed, there was one thing the four teens would always still have in common: a close bond with one another, as the small islands drew them together like family.

Knowing the importance of this closely knit relationship, Kairi was now hesitant to move forward in her fight despite possible victory being so close. One of their own was wounded and unresponsive, and the conditions still were unfavorable for the rest of them. However, if they did flee, this would get them nowhere as the Heartless would only spread to the rest of the world until it was completely devoured. But if there was another way to stop the invasion that they hadn't considered, Kairi recognized it would be better to fall back and consider all their options as this one had clearly struck out. _It struck out … it didn't work, _she thought as she defended herself and the others in silence, the fighting thickening by the second.

Sighing a depressed sound of accepted defeat, Kairi consented to the wishes of her companions and her better judgment, defeating the desires of her heart – her true power. "Wakka, you carry Selphie back to the boats," she instructed, glancing over at the tall tan teen. "Tidus, you and I protect them," she continued, turning to him in turn.

Both boys nodded solemnly as a soldier did to a drill sergeant. "Got it!" Wakka assured, holding his ball beneath his right arm and pumping his left fist in preparedness. All three turned back to their opposition briefly on defense before Kairi cast a Stopra spell, freezing all their enemies in their tracks. During this six second interval Wakka quickly scooped up the sleeping Selphie while Tidus quickly grasped her flung rope, tying it around his own waist. Kairi cut a line through the Heartless wall as a means of escape, but not before glancing longingly back at the cove door. The three teens dashed across the hot beach sand, Kairi and Tidus making sure to keep Wakka's pace.

The frozen Heartless, when released from the spell, saw that the heroes had bolted and quickly disappeared into the ground, tracking Kairi's keyblade and heart of light. The Phantomtails and Sky Grapplers had been unaffected by the Stopra spell and were in hot pursuit, the pink dragons firing their lasers down upon the teens. Kairi would block such attacks with keyblade guards or Reflera spells and counterattack with multiple types of magic while Tidus prevented any physical damage from ground creatures.

A few of the Heartless were smarter than they appeared. When the ground creatures amassed in front of the teens and captured the fighters' attentions, a Phantomtail seized the moment and grabbed Tidus' shoulders from behind. As its sharp claws dug into Tidus' shoulders, the sharp quick pain caused him to release his rod and outcry in agony. The teen was lifted from the ground as he attempted to dissuade his attacker, but in vain. Cooking another scheme in its dark heart, the fiend looped upward before releasing the boy as a flying projectile right towards an unsuspecting Wakka. Trying to shout a warning, his cries were unheard until it was too late and the inevitable collision knocked all three islanders to the ground. The entire event, happening in merely three seconds, had taken out all three of Kairi's close friends.

"Guys!" Kairi yelled, not having seen the attack until it was unavoidable. Dashing over to her friends, she quickly destroyed the Shadows and Bit Snipers that had surrounded them, weaving her feet around wildly flung limbs so as not to step on any of her companions. Wakka had held Selphie close until the end of their fall; she lay next to him in a small mound of warm sand. Tidus lay close by as well, his head near the others face down in the sand. Rolling him over quickly, Kairi tried to call him from their sleep. "Get up!" she cried, realizing her attempts would be fruitless upon seeing the large bump on the boy's head from the collision. Wakka moaned slightly, but it was obvious he did not have the strength to stand. Just before trying a potion, a Large Body approached and attacked with a body attack, forcing Kairi to take action to protect her comrades.

She had no free moment with which to heal her comrades and barely enough to heal herself; the Heartless now concentrated completely on the keyblade wielding light-hearted princess. Having to crank out physical attacks, magical blows, and defensive counterattacks faster than ever before, she realized the importance of allies and how much their aid helped in situations like this one. Now, surrounded by about a hundred Shadows, Neoshadows, Large Bodies, Sky Grapplers, and Bit Snipers with five remaining Phantomtails flying overhead, protecting three unconscious teenagers, Kairi finally did fully see their side of the story. _They were right…we can't fight – not here. I realized it a bit late, I guess._

In less than five minutes of constant struggle she was dead tired, struggling to even keep her focus and protect all around herself, let alone her friends. Having used up all her strength and draining her magic to its extremity, the princess collapsed slowly and unwillingly, taking out as many enemies as she could while slowly falling to her knees. Despite her struggle, the Heartless seemed to multiply before her very eyes, two more appearing for every one she defeated. Finally succumbing to her exhaustion, Kairi collapsed beside her fellow islanders, gasping for air and praying for strength, glancing at all the creatures that still surrounded them. The Heartless charged, their inky black figures blinded by the light of the sun. It was all she could do to defend herself.

Kairi held her keyblade out, shielding her face from the attack. But before it could come, the entire world just got…wavy. Everything she saw seemed like an illusion, yet it was different from the two other visions she had had before the start of the battle; while those visions had been past recollections in full color, this hallucination had a sepia tone to it, everything appearing in old, neutral colors. The Heartless seemed to move in slow motion, defying gravity as they leaped through the air sluggishly. A glowing light began taking over her sight, consuming everything around her. In shock she realized this light came from her own heart, causing a painful sensation she had never before experienced. _This is a new kind of heartache._ And with that thought the princess of heart collapsed and her world went dark.


	4. Chapter 3: A Curious Conclusion

**CHAPTER 3**

_**A Curious Conclusion**_

The bright summer sun peeked through Tidus' closed eyelids, arousing him from his dreamless sleep. His open hands moved reflexively in reaction to his awakening, shifting the warm sand beneath his fingers. _…Why am I taking a nap on the beach?_ the islander questioned as he opened his eyes, squinting in the bright sun. Blocking the light with his forearm momentarily, he preceded to run his fingers through his hair, trying to recall the circumstances by which he came to be where he was. Tidus' fingers located a large tender lump on his head which he touched lightly, struggling to recollect how it came to be there. _Bump…BATTLE!_ he grasped abruptly, sitting up hastily, the recent events coming back to him in a flash. His quick movement was accompanied by an involuntary groan of discomfort as his head throbbed in response to the shift. Attempting to shut out the pain, he stiffed his body and shut his eyes firmly, trying to discount the throbbing.

His method seemed to work suddenly and unexpectedly, for a strange sensation of unfamiliar energy prompted the teen to reopen his eyes to find his pain had fully dissolved. Again fingering his golf-ball sized bulge in surprise, Tidus was astonished to find it was not sore in the least even when he applied pressure. _How did all my pain go away so quickly? _he questioned. _I didn't just imagine it. This thing is huge; I should surely have a headache, if not some other more serious type of head injury…so why do I feel fine? _He pondered these thoughts, knowing the limitations of a cure spell compared to the seriousness of head injuries did not explain this situation.

A moan similar to his previous one caught his attention, compelling him to turn on his side to see who else was stirring. Wakka lay on his stomach, his head cradled in his arms. "Wakka," Tidus stated, his voice sounding monotone and nonchalant despite him being worried for his companion. This verbalization not only further roused Wakka but also stirred Selphie, who rested near Wakka, laying on her side, her hands guarding her face. While the young man slowly crawled on his knees till he could stand on one, Selphie sat up and turned around to face her two compatriots, both fully alert, confused and concerned.

Wakka scanned his friends over, caring for them as a protective older brother. "Everyone okay?" he asked, his face showing true interest in their well-being. Both Tidus and Selphie nodded, appearing no worse for wear; in fact, all three islanders felt as if they had just awoken from a voluntary, soothing nap not succeeding a knockout battle.

Scanning her surroundings, Selphie was not surprised to find she had been moved from her last remembered location; however, she was stunned to find that they had one member missing from their party. "Where's Kairi?" she enquired, her tone sounding more unaware than concerned, not knowing the princess had been with them until the boys had blacked out.

These two simple words set off a panic button for both Wakka and Tidus. Both sets of eyes quickly dashed from place to place, anxiously looking for the girl. "She was right with us," Wakka insisted desperately, unable to spot the islander anywhere.

Excessively uneasy and fueled by obliviousness to the outcome of their fight, Tidus scrambled to his feet, kicking sand as he struggled to gain a quick foothold. "Kairi!" he yelled, his loud voice vibrating off the ocean waves. Standing had not given him a glimpse of the keyblade wielder; however, what he did see sent him staggering backwards, bewildered by his surroundings. "Whoa…" he breathed unbelievingly, surveying the change in landscape.

"What?" Wakka asked, standing as well before gasping at what he saw. Selphie followed suit, all three islanders staring at their island's damage. While the treehouse, seaside shack and piers appeared completely untouched, the beach itself was marred in the most unusual way. Surrounding the islanders was a black ring appearing similar to scorched cinders, yet it seemed the sand itself had been caught afire, the smooth minute pebbles fused together like fragile grainy black glass. Many similar scars were evident all throughout the surrounding area, and the usually level beach face now was filled with multiple craters and ditches. Even though the three teens themselves had messed up the landscape in their own battle, the damage they had done was nothing compared to this mess.

Still, Kairi was nowhere to be seen. "Did Kairi do that?" Selphie asked, almost frightened by the makeover of their small play island. _What if everything looks like this?_ she feared, also considering that the damage may have been the work of the Heartless. Still, as Wakka and Tidus had been conscious longer than she, they may have known what caused this new change in scenery.

Tidus' answer did not help Selphie. "I don't know," came the preoccupied teen's reply, his mind focused on the small details in the sand. Every inch of the battlefield was obscured beyond hope of finding any sort of evidence, yet footprints and impressions were still vaguely visible inside the ring of dark ash. Of these Tidus recognized the light tread of Kairi's wave-lined shoes shuffled around inside the perimeter, but an unfamiliar distinct shape in the sand sent his mind down a completely different path, making hypotheses about how the battle progressed after he had been defeated.

Wakka, however, was one-set mindset, concentrating only on the important task at hand. _If anything's happened to her…I could never forgive myself._ "It doesn't matter;" he insisted to his two friends, "let's go find her." This directive set in his head, he planted the same one in his two friends, who turned and nodded back to him. Quickly detouring to retrieve his weapon (which he had placed in Selphie's lap while carrying her), Wakka picked up his blitzball a short distance from where he had been laying, prompting Selphie to search for hers. Tidus, recognizing the rope was still tied around his waist, untied and returned it while surveying the sand for his rod. Remembering he had dropped it along the beach face which now lay in ruin, the teen recognized it would take much time to find and resolved to search for it later.

After tying her weapon around her waist, Selphie was once again absorbed in their task. "Is her boat still here?" she enquired, hoping for confirmation that she still remained on the island. This being something the boys had not considered, the three ran to the docks, stumbling here and there due to the uneven terrain. As he ran, Tidus felt an object clinking in his pocket, weighing down his left side slightly. _Wait, I don't carry anything in my pocket…other than my – _as Selphie and Wakka hurried to the dock's edge to identify Kairi's boat, Tidus paused on the bridge ramp and reached into his pocket to pull out his compacted rod. _This isn't right…I know I dropped it when that Heartless grabbed my shoulders…it should be buried in the sand. Who put it back?_

"Yep," Wakka stated, confirming that Kairi's boat still remained tethered to the dock. This new observation verifying the princess had not left the islands, Tidus pushed his curious thoughts aside as he stood at the platform's edge, facing the beach's damaged surface. Scanning everything he could, not a trace of the princess was to be found. Studying the land for any signs of her location, Tidus closely scrutinized the sand's patterns. Spotting a shallow narrow channel in the sand, his eyes followed it around the bend to the cove entrance. Looking back to where they had come from, Tidus identified three similar channels, recognizing the mystery trail as one left behind when someone ran through the sand. That someone, he assumed, was Kairi.

"Come 'on," he encouraged, jumping down from the dock and jogging across the island's sandy beach. Waiting for Wakka and Selphie to leap off the pier and follow, Tidus led the way, intently tracking the path he had found to its origin. Stumbling here and there, he took a moment to further observe his surroundings while following the trail. Being a short distance away from the heart of the battle, the sand had smoothed out considerably, allowing further marks to be established on its smooth surface. Despite this, Tidus did not recognize any other details, and he certainly didn't want to slow to double check.

Rounding the corner, Tidus' hunch was found to be correct as the trail ended at an unconscious Kairi, just a few feet from the boarded cove door. "There!" he declared, pointing her out to the others before running full speed ahead to her side. Hopping over the small step before scrambling to his knees, Tidus was quickly by Kairi's side, alarmed by her lifeless appearance. No smile graced her lovely face, but the oily trails of a few dried tears creased her cheeks. Laying similar to Selphie's position, she supported her head with her arms, her face as pale as a ghost – worst of all, she didn't appear to be breathing.

* * *

"Kairi!" Wakka's familiar voice carrying an apprehensive tone reached the princess' ears with an echo as if he called to her from far away. Sensing the near presence of her friends, Kairi felt a pull away from the empty dreamless void she seemed trapped in.

Selphie was the next to call out her name, this time sounding much closer and clearer. "Kairi! Can you hear me?" she pleaded, a desperate lilt in her voice. Slowly regaining her missing senses, Kairi felt the warmth of the sun accompanied by someone's shaky hand resting on her own while another broad hand grasped her shoulder, shaking it in hopes of awakening her. But the feeling most prominent was that of her throbbing heart, the organ beating much faster and harder than normal.

"Say something!" Tidus pleaded, rousing Kairi from her slumber. As if disturbed from a peaceful sleep, Kairi's deep breath was followed by a passive drowsy sigh. This superfluous inhale calmed her anxious heart quickly, resuming its normal steady pace in only three beats. Opening her eyelids gradually, she let her eyes become accustomed to the bright light before fully opening them. Tidus was the first to notice this response. "She's okay!" he cried happily, falling back in relief for her safety with a little laugh.

The princess of heart leisurely sat upright, smiling at her three friends. "Thank goodness," Selphie sighed, letting her head droop and release her tension. Kairi chuckled at their concern; with Tidus on her left and Wakka and Selphie on her right, the princess was reassured of the strong bond they shared despite rarely seeing each other. Wakka sighed in relief before raising to his feet, offering a helping hand to the princess.

Taking it, Kairi stood on shaking legs, taking a moment to stabilize herself. Tidus and Selphie joined the two on their feet, coming by Kairi to steady her if need be. But the princess didn't need help balancing despite her original thoughts. Having expected to be dizzy from exhaustion and severely stiff from her many bruises and aches, she was surprised to feel nothing at all after standing. It seemed her full strength – if not more – had returned to her in such a short time. And any pain she did feel while laying down vanished suddenly upon standing up. _Huh…and I didn't even use a cure spell._

Kairi did not know if her companions felt the same. She was fully aware of their previous battle and was relieved to see them all still kicking, yet she worried of the aftermath of their fight. _Besides, keyblade wielders can hold up better in battle than others._ "Are you all right?" she asked, recalling their earlier tumble and seeing Tidus' whopper bump on the right side of his head.

The three teens nodded in reassurance at their condition, but Wakka added oral assurance. "We're fine," he insisted before turning his mind to the unsolved mysteries. "But what happened to you? Did you try going to the tunnel again?" he asked, unsure of what to call the dark hole that had suddenly appeared.

As if surprised, Kairi surveyed her surroundings to find herself in a different place than she remembered falling. Standing on the raised area of the sand with the door to the cove right behind her, she was only a few feet from the portal, a few feet closer than they had been in the furthest advancement of their fight. "I – How did I get here?" she asked, her mind in a whirl. Yet despite being so confused, she felt a strange peace set over her, keeping her distracted mind from exploding with questions. _Why do I feel so…relaxed? Dreamy? Happy?_

Selphie shrugged her shoulders, previously expecting to get an answer from Kairi herself. _How does she not know?_ she thought incredulously, unsure if Kairi was truly unwell before the battle had even occurred. "Don't know," she responded naïvely. "We woke up a bit ago and you weren't around, so we went looking for you and found you here."

"But, I…" Kairi said slowly, trying to think through her situation. Selphie's explanation of the recent events prompted Kairi to explain on her own, hoping someone could make sense of it when she couldn't – as they clearly expected her to do for them. "… the last thing I remember is when you three all fell, and I tried to protect you, and then there was…this bright light," Kairi explained, putting a hand to her heart which seemed to ache in response. But other than this trivial pain, she felt completely dazed as if she were trapped in a state of reverie, the tale having a happy conclusion. _Is this a dream? Something does feel a bit off…_

"From your heart?" Wakka asked, confused by the princess' revelation. He had expected for her to expound on how she had made sure they were safe before naively running back to the portal, closing it and destroying all the Heartless before collapsing of exhaustion on her way back to the others. This was nothing like he expected, especially the detail on her heart's light.

"I guess so," Kairi stated absently, her mind on other issues. Suddenly their core problem came back to her as she realized it had not been resolved before she had blacked out. Although they weren't being attacked and she didn't see anything, how could her friends have closed the portal without her keyblade? "But…where are the heartless?"

No one had expected this. All three teens had expected her to continue on with her story to the point when she closed the portal and destroyed all the dark creatures, but her admitting that she hadn't done so immediately made them all uneasy. "The portal!" Tidus exclaimed, assuming Heartless, still pouring from the ever-growing portal, had taken their attention away from the fallen islanders and had gone on to siege the other islanders on the main island. "Let's go!" he insisted, turning towards the cove door. As the three other teens dashed to the door, Tidus stayed behind, stunned to see another mark in the sand right near where Kairi had been lying unconscious.

Wakka was the first to reach the door and pull on the handle only to remember it was boarded shut. Kairi thought this simple action was strange, but also oddly familiar despite it being Wakka's first time to make this mistake. _Déjà vu…why?_ she remarked before turning her distracted attention back to the issue at hand, concerned greatly about her home.

Removing the door's blockade and aimlessly tossing it aside, Wakka yanked the door open wide before leading the dash through it, taking up his weapon, ready to fight again if need be. However, the sand was settled, the trees swayed only to the breeze, and the brilliant blue sky shone down on the small island – nothing was amiss. "It's gone," Wakka stated incredulously, amazed and perplexed simultaneously. Indeed, the portal composed of darkness had disappeared, leaving the world of light exactly how it had been before.

Though the other three teens felt the same emotions, Kairi's feelings of disbelief were the strongest. "How? No one closed it," she insisted, knowing she had not used her keyblade on the portal. _This doesn't make any sense,_ the princess thought petulantly, unaware how their situation was resolved. But in her mix of emotions, fear of the unknown was mingled with her dreamy state and an unidentifiable ache somewhere deep in her heart – this made her all the more confused.

"Maybe someone did," came a surprising comment from Selphie. The other islanders all stared at her quizzically, encouraging her to explain. The girl thought with a hand supporting her face and her right arm supporting her left, her eyes closed and lines of intent gracing her simple but lovely face. Uncrossing her arms and straightening herself, she turned to address the princess at her side. "Kairi, you said that the light came from your heart, right?" Kairi nodded in reassurance, not in understanding. Selphie paused before continuing as if rethinking or reevaluating her theory. "Remember how Sora and Riku told us that Kairi was a princess of heart?" she inquired, now turning to Wakka and Tidus standing across from her.

This Kairi understood as she remembered this conversation. Although Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie had never been extremely close to Sora, Riku, or Kairi, the two boys had widely expounded on most of their adventures, including about Kairi's origin and purpose. "We don't have any darkness in our hearts; our lights are pure," the princess confirmed, verifying the boys understood the reference.

"Right," Wakka insisted, nodding solemnly. Wakka knew this fact full well; it was one of the reasons he was extra protective of Kairi now. About a week before, Sora approached both Tidus and Wakka, asking that if he ever had to leave again they would keep Kairi safe. Both islanders had promised to do their best, not aware their trial would come so soon.

Tidus did not see the point in this information; the points did not add up with all of the private data he had been collecting. And the self-confident teen was assured he was onto something; he stared at "proof" even as he pondered his theory. _Still…it's worth getting everyone's perspective._ "Well, what does that have to do with anything?" he asked analytically, the scholar side of his mind emerging two weeks early from its summer vacation.

Selphie became more assured with her theory the longer she dwelled on it. "What if her heart released her light?" she questioned the group, glancing at all of them at once, attempting to persuade them. "And the light not only destroyed the Heartless but closed the portal?" she continued excitedly, adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"Ok…that's stretching it a bit," Tidus insisted, deep in concentration. Already believing his theory was more accurate, Tidus was a skeptic to this idea despite knowing it was highly possible and his theory was near the bottom edge of logic. Yet still he evaluated every other outcome, and all the more Selphie's seemed acceptable while his continued to be problematic.

Selphie shrugged, her confidence not shaken but open to the views of her peers. "Do you have a better idea?" she questioned, seeing his eyes shut in profound thought. Looking at the faces of her peers, it appeared she had already won over Wakka but Kairi and Tidus remained skeptics.

Her hunch on Wakka was correct. "Nope," he insisted simply, giving into this solution easily. _I don't care what happened as long as it did,_ he thought to himself, not diving into the details but accepting the easiest solution so he could move on with more important things. _Still…now I'm curious about what really caused this and prevented it._ He resolved to ask the core character of the dilemma. "What do you think, Kairi?" he enquired, turning to her across the way.

In her mind, Kairi was concentrating; to the others, she appeared majorly distracted. _She wasn't like this before, _Tidus remarked, discounting their game of chase before the portal's dawn. "I don't know…I can't think of any other explanation," Kairi answered slowly, pondering any other outcome of the combat. Yet when no one has seen the truth, guesses can be numerous and none could be correct – Kairi recognized this, yet she was slowly being won over to this 'simple' solution. "But…I feel like Selphie's onto something," the princess insisted, though her facial expression did not reflect her optimistic tone.

Wakka, however, was not able to contain his enthusiasm. "Who cares what happened?" he queried joyfully. "The heartless are gone! We did it!" he exclaimed, a smile of victory across his face. Despite sparring with the other children, Wakka and the others had never been in an all-out battle like this before – they had not even known what hit them the night of the storm. For their first time truly fighting, they had exceeded the expected despite their abnormal weapon choices. Selphie joined him in his celebration, but Tidus continued to remain thoughtful.

"Ya…" Kairi stated vaguely, still not satisfied and in search of more answers. The princess of heart, although accepting Selphie's explanation as truth and Wakka's excitement as well deserved, could not bring herself to be happy about the issue. Something else seemed to pull at her mind, and she couldn't keep all of her doubts from flourishing. _This is too much…why now? Why not when Sora and Riku were here? They would know._

Tidus, also unsatisfied with this simple solution, still considered it a possibility. He took Kairi's response as one of pain, not contemplation. And if the princess had truly unconsciously used her heart's power, who knows what the after effects may bring. _After all – if it is true – she just destroyed more than a hundred heartless __and__ closed a portal of darkness with just her light...just imagine what that could do to her. _"Hey, Kairi, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned more for her well-being than their issue, compared trivial to that of the princess' safety. _Sora would __kill__ me if anything happened to Kairi, and maybe even himself._ He fully intended to keep her safe, hoping this was the last time he would have to be a royal bodyguard.

The princess was not concerned for her safety, but plagued with the questions of a scholar's mind. _How did I get where I was? Did I really close the portal? Why did this happen now – is it linked to Sora and Riku's new adventure? Are they all right? Are we even okay? _Questions swirled around inside her head, each begging to be answered."I have so many questions," she finally answered, thinking for a long stitch before responding and admitting her fears. "And I'm getting worried about Sora and Riku."

This statement reminded Wakka of life just before the portal; she had been hallucinating about Sora and Riku. _No doubt she would worry…yet what's the point? We can't help them, and they surely don't need it._ "Oh, you know those two," he remarked, as tranquil as he appeared. "If they're together, they'll be fine," he insisted, his confidence seeming to seep into Kairi's thirsty answer-seeking heart.

Kairi perked up at this statement, knowing that if nothing else was true, that statement was. "I guess you're right," she agreed, giving into oblivion and calming her thoughts. Despite this, her feelings still swirled around inside, refusing to calm. Feeling of uneasiness, longing for something familiar, and a numbing pain of unknown origin weighed her down, placing a heavy burden on her shoulders that she did not know how to relieve. Looking about for assuredness of their island's safety, she sought to find a remedy for her emptiness…her peaceful nothing. "Now what?" she asked, having no idea with what to distract herself.

Selphie, seeming the cheeriest of them all, was quick to present an idea. "How about…hide and seek?" she inquired, the game being her favorite from childhood since she easily slipped into the smallest of spaces.

"All right – you're it first!" Tidus insisted happily, joining in on the fun. He used this pastime to his advantage, not only enjoying the game but having other intentions. Wakka was purely joyful, glad things had quickly been restored unlike their island's appearance, which he planned to smooth over with the others starting the next day. Kairi was just glad for a diversion, hoping to get her mind off her strange mixed feelings.

Pouting in mock annoyance and immature petulance, Selphie expression easily brought a smile to her companion's faces. "Fine!" she cried out in phony irritation before beginning her counting to one hundred much faster than a normal tempo – the way children always count when they're 'it'. The boys dashed off at the first second in different directions, Tidus heading back the way they came while Kairi followed Wakka through the cove obstacle course. Stopping Kairi and motioning for her help, Wakka squeezed in the compressed pocket near the cove harbor while Kairi pushed the boulder in its path, concealing her friend in his favorite hiding spot which Selphie had never found.

Dashing off to find her own hiding spot, Kairi took the tunnel to the seashore as quickly as she could, knowing there were more opportunities to hide on that side. Recognizing she had almost run out of time, Kairi selected the first place that came to mind; her secret cave. Caught up in the game, she did not notice Tidus unprotected and crouching out in the open as still as a rock, intently staring at the ground. Dashing to get to it in time, she barely cleared the entrance before she heard Selphie loudly exclaim, "Ready or not, here I come!" Swiftly navigating the winding rock corridor, she hid in the darkest corner of the room behind a twisted root, having a perfect view of the world's door and their drawings. Seeing the one Sora drew with her and the Paupu fruit, her mind was immediately sucked back to worry and a numbness of spirit she had felt slowly growing since being revived. _What's wrong with me? I don't really know…what this feeling is._

Distracted by her thoughts, the princess did not hear the quiet approach of the light islander's footsteps. "Found you," Selphie declared, leaning around the edge and startling Kairi badly. Losing her footing and falling to the ground, Kairi stared dumbfounded at the girl, still attempting to process things.

Selphie freed a minute trapped giggle, causing the princess to come to her senses. "Come on…" Kairi moaned unhappily, mad at her terrible hiding place. With this acceptance of defeat Selphie offered the fallen girl a hand, and her help was accepted willingly.

"I thought you might be here," Selphie stated, knowing the special cave had great significance to Sora, Riku, and Kairi. "You know…you aren't really trying," she remarked, studying Kairi's seemingly glum expression.

The princess was surprised she was so easy to read; Kairi had always thought she could hide her feelings well. "You think?" she asked, stunned by how bland and monotone her reply had sounded.

"Ya," Selphie said, motioning for Kairi to lead the way from the cave. The two ducked as they walked, watching their heads while Selphie continued to talk. "You're really distracted still. Is something bothering you?" she asked, still concerned that the teen didn't feel the same unexplainable energy that she did.

Energy was not the problem; Kairi couldn't pinpoint her source of irritation. "No, I don't think so. I'm fine," she insisted, in an unenthusiastic way. _Well, so much for self-assuredness_, she managed to think, smiling at the lack of confidence in her tone.

Selphie immediately sensed this fake assurance and diagnosed her friend's strange mood. They emerged from the cavern into the bright sunlight before Selphie spoke again. "You know, you don't act this way when you're worried – you act this way when you're sad."

"Huh…oh,"_ She's right…this numbing pain, this heartache – its sadness. _Kairi was stunned how easily Selphie pinpointed the issue she couldn't even truly identify, but upon the islander's revelation the symptoms were as clear as day. "I guess I may be," she admitted, knowing full well it was true and that sadness was her primary emotion. "But I don't know why," the princess concluded, this answer being completely honest. Despite now knowing the feeling, she didn't know its source – the motive behind the feeling. _Sora and Riku? The portal? The unsolved mysteries? Is that what's bothering me? Or…something else? _

* * *

Running across the beach face as quickly as he could, Tidus did not intend to stay hidden. While Wakka always had his special spot, Tidus would disappear best by moving from place to place, keeping from being found. He intended to use the same tactics, but not to hide from Selphie. Instead, he set out to collect more evidence for his own theory about the ring of cinders and the strange footprints he had seen.

Hurrying to the place they had laid unconscious earlier, he stopped to peer at the black welded sand. _Sand can't even catch on fire,_ he noted before scooping up a handful, testing its grain. The chunky substance seemed to smooth out in his closed fist, and the islander was stunned to see the sand had regained its original light tan color and texture and as he slowly released it from a crack in his fist. Further disturbing the ring with his hands, he saw the same results as friction on the surface of the particles broke apart their bonds and undid the discoloring effects upon them._ Interesting…now on to the footprints._

Turning his attention to where he had seen the first mark, he closely studied the sole design left behind. The footprint was clearly outlined by strong square treads lining the whole shoe; inside this ring was a thin line around the entire boot. A wavy design of flexible treads was vaguely visible in the toe; a small undisturbed area of the sand separated the insole from the heel, which was without the wave design – instead, it had a unique mark unlike Tidus had ever seen. Getting on his hands and knees to study it, he leaned down close to the sand, holding his breath so as not to disturb the design. The mark was a unique capital "A" hovering above what looked like a set of wings. Analyzing every strange aspect of the event, he wondered what this could stand for, if anything of significance. Occupied by these thoughts, he barely caught Kairi in his peripheral vision running to the cave. But Tidus didn't care; his world was evolved momentarily around the most miniscule scrap of info that proved or disproved nothing at all.

Hearing Selphie's announce her arrival, Tidus realized his shoe study was over until he evaded her. Looking about quickly for a hiding place, he found the nearest one to be the seaside shack. Dashing inside just in time, he closed the door quickly before stopping suddenly, keeping it open a sliver so he could see outside. Selphie walked about on the disfigured beach, looking this way and that, her eyes settling for a moment on the seaside shack. _This is a terrible hiding spot…_ Tidus thought, fearing he would be the first caught, sent to the docks – the gathering place for those caught – and unable to continue his investigation.

It seemed Selphie didn't care to check the small hut, for she strode off confidently to the secret place beneath the tree. Remembering Kairi had run inside, he realized just as she had that in the princess' distracted state the cave was the first and only place she'd think to hide in. Seizing the opportunity to find a better place, he abandoned the shed and rounded the bend to the cove again, studying the print near where Kairi had laid unconscious. Along the way he took the time to study the land more thoroughly, locating no other distinguishable footprints in the sand. Carefully observing his surroundings, Tidus checked to find multiple footprints, many obscured and unrecognizable but at least three that matched the mysterious original and more that matched the treads of him and his friends.

Nodding in confirmation, he turned behind him to see Kairi mounting the pier, a victim of bad hiding. Knowing Selphie was once again on the prowl, Tidus set out to find more proof with better hiding opportunities. Quickly and quietly scurrying through the cove door, he held the entrance door shut in order to be undisturbed and dissuade Selphie from following – if she chose to turn back to the cove. But after waiting for several seconds with no change, the teen assumed the girl wasn't coming and went back to work.

Turning his attention to his feet – more accurately the 'proof' he had been staring at while his friends had been taking, he compared his foot size to that of the odd footprint. _I'm about a size eight…so this guy has got to be around a size twelve – man, those are big feet. Must be tall…_ assumptions and opinions flooded through his head, confusing his hypotheses with the facts.

Realizing this, he cleared his mind, reviewing his evidence in his head. _We wake up and all feel instant relief from our injuries, yet none of us but Kairi can use a cure spell. I dropped my rod while fighting, but it was back in my pocket when I awoke. Kairi was not where she had last remembered and was stunned by her surroundings – she's been acting weird, too. The landscape is a total mess, but no Heartless even touched our hearts. The portal was closed without the keyblade, and odd footprints are everywhere of interest…near where we had fallen, near Kairi, and near the portal. _

_Now…how much of this is all conjecture? …Kairi didn't say she hadn't used a cure spell on us…or put my rod back…or even made all those craters in the sand – I never asked about that. If her heart did release that light, could that have healed us all, including her? She may have some weird sickness to make her forget she closed the portal – after all, she was acting strange before the portal even appeared. Really…all I have to go on my theory are the footprints._

Still, this setback did not dissuade the teen. Although he wanted to ask Kairi, telling her his hypothesis may worry her more than she already appeared to be. Realizing he would need more to convince his friends, he set out to collect more evidence – mainly, proof of more footprints. Carefully evading the searching Selphie, the insistent teen scavenged the entire island, on the careful search for more details. Finding nothing anywhere in the treehouse, he determined not to check the beach face further, attempting to stay clear of Kairi as well so as she wouldn't question his strange behavior – instead, his thorough search took place in the cove.

In many places he found nothing, but in others it was obvious skirmishes they had not fought had taken place. Marks on the cove walls similar to the strange singe on the sand were extant, but rubbing the smudges and streaks as before caused them to disappear. Sand was disturbed everywhere, though no more large craters or dunes were found. Finally, a few distinct footprints were found on the seashore sand, the seashore tunnel path (along with some of Kairi's), and in the cove.

Thinking this information had to be shared, Tidus couldn't bear to wait for Selphie to give up the game – this was the only way Wakka ever came out of his spot. Knowing exactly where to go, the teen stealthily hurried to the boulder and, checking to see Selphie was absent, inched the boulder away just enough for him to lean in. The concealed blitzball player was stunned to see his friend, his expression evident in his face. "Tidus? That you, brudda?" he asked in a whisper, unable to distinguish the character well with the streaming sun behind them. Receiving a small nod of assurance, the boy immediately eased and smiled, happy to see his partner still uncaught. "Are you hiding with me?"

Tidus had no intention of the sort; the game didn't matter as much as his quest. "Wakka, something's wrong," he stated with solemn assuredness, having no doubt in his mind there was more to the recent events then what met the eye.

"What do you mean?" Wakka asked, curiosity growing inside of him. Unsure if Tidus was referring to the game or the portal, he hoped firmly it was the former as this would not be of crucial danger to anyone.

The matter involved the latter, yet not in the way Wakka would have expected. The detective teen grabbed his friend's wrist and led him without resistance from his hidey hole into the bright sun. Now closer in proximity, Tidus talked in a whisper, carrying a low, grave tone in his voice. "Someone else has been here on our island," he insisted, now assured in his theory even with his little evidence.

Despite assuming Tidus was only still antsy, Wakka took his friend seriously for his own curiosity – although he acted uninterested with the details, the boy's personal isolation period had caused him to question what had truly happened earlier that morning. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly, his voice reflecting Tidus' own.

Tidus expounded on his findings with professional bearings, showing no pride in his work but only sensibleness in the situation. "When we found Kairi, there were a lot of larger footprints around. And where we saw the portal last? The footprints were there, too." Spotting another right near the cove harbor, he did not hesitate to point it out. "Look, you see? There's another one!" Spotting the shallow but clear feature impressed in the sand, Wakka walked to it, bending down to study it closely. Tidus joined his side, staring at the symbol now engraved in his mind. "Same size, same design," he confirmed, preceding his confirmation. "I've just searched, and they're all over the island."

"What are you saying?" Wakka asked. They were not the only ones who came to the island, yet these footprints had not been there before – at least, they hadn't noticed them. And the beach face had been so messed up during the fighting that any footprints left beforehand should have been destroyed. _So what? What is Tidus getting at?_

_Am I getting at something?_ Tidus wondered. _Hmm…well, considering the footprints were all the places where the battles were, I believe I can make this assumption. _"I'm not so sure Kairi was the one who closed the portal."


	5. Chapter 4: Conjecture

**CHAPTER 4**

_**Conjecture**_

The Gummi ship flew off into space with a whiz and a twinkle as Master Yen Sid sat in his lofty chair, pondering the recent events with utmost integrity and earnest. The new development tied together some of his other thoughts as Maleficent's movements seemed too precise to be coincidental. Alone with his mind as Mickey, Donald, and Goofy embarked on their critical mission to rescue Queen Minnie, the retired keyblade wielder felt free to speak aloud to himself, a method that had always helped him summarize his thoughts. "The timing is too perfect…too calculated," he concluded, knowing the evil fairy had the uncanny gift of finding dark allies and exploiting them for her own benefit. "Maleficent must sense a change in the forces of darkness. A change…like Xehanort."

"My thoughts exactly, old friend." The deep thinker was stunned to receive an answer while meditating, but his astonishment quickly vanished when he recognized the voice and its source. With a magical wave of his glowing hand and a small puff of smoke, he summoned his crystal which he frequently used for communication to distant worlds. Staring into its brilliant radiance, he smiled as his mind went back to the olden days.

"Aalif, it has been too long," he claimed as he stared into the magical gem hovering above his desk. His rich, deep tone carried a small lilt of disapproval, but even he could not fully contain his pleasure at hearing his old friend's voice.

"Agreed Weis," his comrade responded, referring to Master Yen Sid by his first name. "But you seem to have kept yourself busy just as I have," the crystal responded, glowing brightly with every word. "And on a similar subject," Aalif disclosed thoughtfully.

This revelation pleased the old master greatly. "I should have known I wasn't the only one watching the worlds," Yen Sid responded, surprised he had not considered this fact before. _Two great minds are better than one,_ he thought, knowing this statement was indeed true and should have been regarded earlier.

"I may have abandoned my duty, but not my responsibility," the fellow guardian responded, his tone contrite and determined. "I promised to always protect the worlds." Aalif proved this – if by nothing else of the past – simply by his contact with Weis to discuss the current events.

Yen Sid nodded, though he knew his associate could not see him. "That you did," he agreed wholeheartedly. "An oath be both made to our master." Despite his age, the retired keyblade wielder remembered well their own master and the wonderful times he and Aalif had had under his teachings. His mind turned from reminiscing on the past to the present concerns. "What is your conjecture on all of this?

"You refer to Xehanort as your topic of choice," the colleague master responded, knowing full well the identity of their struggles. His next statement grabbed Master Yen Sid's attention to an area of the problem he had not considered. "However, there is something that troubles me more than Xehanort's possible return – the paths of time."

Weis had not considered this as he didn't think it was worth considering. "I have not sensed any danger," he concluded, his opinion sounding as sure as fact. "I know that the paths are active – two of my students are using them for their Mark of Mastery exam." He divulged this information expecting a short silence to follow as Aalif reconsidered his theory.

However, the response came directly, as if this revelation meant nothing to the conversation. "A strange way to do it, may I say…but very essential considering the recent events," Aalif stated thoughtfully, having observed the worlds as much as his associate had. "Their resulting power would prove very useful."

"Indeed," Yen Sid concluded, not understanding the point his peer was trying to make. "But they have not caused any changes to the timeline," he affirmed, trying to ease his compatriot's industrious mind. "They merely used the corridors to reach the Realm of Sleep."

The reply stunned Yen Sid more than Aalif's first response. "On the contrary, their one act seems to have spawned others." There was a brief pause in the message before the scholarly observer continued. "It is not the time travel of a pair but of multiple others, leaping back and forth across the timeline from many different eras."

"How have you seen this?" the Master asked, surprised he wouldn't have noticed this. He did not give himself the pleasure of excusing his unconsciousness due to focusing on his current involvements more than the rest of the realms. However, this was the reason. Luckily, Aalif, not having to concern himself with the current keyblade warriors, had more time on his hands to ponder such things and present his conceptions.

"When your pupils went back into time, there should have been no disturbance," the elderly master stated before continuing with his reflections, "yet rifts appeared in the realm of light – a portal linked to the darkness and dream worlds to which the keyblade wielders were traveling." Master Aalif, having been trained by the same master as Weis, was fully aware of the timeline, various realms, and battle between light and darkness, so this conversation reminded both fellow students of their debates of youth.

"I could sense the change in darkness…" Master Yen Sid agreed, closing his eyes in contemplation. _This situation has moved to a higher level of complexity. _His mind recalled a lecture of their past leader. _"Rifts connecting the past and present create dark portals that consume everything." _However, Yen Sid's collaborator had said a rift formed a new dark link between the dream realm and the realm of light. Such a thing was never heard of.

"Due to Xehanort," his supporter stated, completing Weis' statement for him before continuing with his own hypothesis. "But this wouldn't be far from him – I am almost certain that the two subjects are connected," Aalif stated assuredly, his tone mentally carrying the determined facial expression Weis remembered well from his earnest cohort.

Yen Sid fed Aalif more wood for his fire, feeding the conversation's continuation. "And you suppose that these rifts are linked not only to him, but them as well," he stated, referring to the two newly unaccounted keyblade wielders. This new cog in the wheel of ignorance towards their condition caused the master to worry more for his students' safety. Despite this worry, he was determined to save all notes for further consideration later and again engaged in the conversation, opening his eyes to the crystal's responsive glow.

"Yes," replied Aalif confidently, consciously accepting the conversational fuel. "These changes in the timeline clearly happened long ago, sometimes years apart, but only became evident now at the exact time Sora and Riku left." His self-confidence and precise details bewildered Master Yen Sid and subconsciously caused him to speculate his companion's sources, but the attentive magician again fixed on what was being said with all integrity, giving Aalif his full attention. "Appearing as an illusion, their 'blast to the past' was evident in the real realm just before the portal appeared."

"And the fate of the portal?" Weis asked, an alarmed manner steadily growing. Knowing that time portals grew until nothing remained, Yen Sid's awareness was fully aroused as he realized worlds would be permanently consumed with no method of regaining them – no amount of Sora's quests could ever bring them back.

Aalif's manner of answer, similar to his customary character (and that of Yen Sid's), was to state preceding details before answering the question. "There are many besides us who protect and watch over the worlds…but you knew that," he claimed, knowing his ally must have at least concluded this basic fact through his years of study. "Two of these allies closed the portal from both sides to halt the spread of darkness into our realm." Yen Sid's questions grew in every way possible, but his relief calmed his subtle panic knowing the worlds were not facing an imminent death. However, not all was fine and dandy. "But evidence of the rift still remains," Aalif stated, concluding his lecture.

"Such as the darkness," Yen Sid concluded, fully understanding his peer's explanation. He summed up the recent events in his mind quickly to refresh all the details. _Sora and Riku's travels through time instigated a chain reaction, which tore a hole in the space-time continuum that has been taken care of but left its mark. …Too few details – too many unknowns._

"Hmm," the unseen master pondered, his wisdom obvious in his meditation as both elders contemplated and collected their thoughts. Aalif continued the conversation after their brief lull with more news. "The portal opened in Destiny Islands due to your students traveling to that world in the past." This Yen Sid had assumed, but the situation's development was not. "The Nightmare dream eaters, sensing the light of this world, attempted to cross the portal and bring havoc to the islands."

"Which is impossible," the master concluded certainly. Yen Sid was contemplative, but dubious of this account. _Dream eaters are dreams – they have no form in our world but inside of our minds. So how would they affect it?_

Aalif was prepared to refute this perception. "True, but as they crossed the expanse of time and space, their bodies were transformed into another form of darkness – Heartless." This revelation shocked Yen Sid, but he instantly acknowledged its possibility. _Due to being darkness, they can morph from dreams to desires as they cross into a different fraction of the universe fabric._ He reengaged with the topic at hand, which now caused him greater distress. "They almost did bring chaos to the worlds," his fellow classmate claimed with candor.

_Destiny Islands is Sora and Riku's home…_ "And the islands?" he asked, considerate concern obvious in his atmosphere. More importantly, he worried for one person in particular that remained at home. "Kairi?" he asked, his tone demanding for details. The Princess of Heart's death would not only be a serious personal blow to the team but would also cause a greater outbreak of darkness than the portal would have.

"In a stable condition and of no worry," was the response. _Of the islands or of Kairi?_ Weis wondered, impatiently anxious. However, Aalif was quick to assure his comrade of the safety of both. "The heartless have been contained and taken care of. The world's inhabitants fought as they could, and Kairi showed great promise."

"Did she?" he asked inquisitively, his eyes closing again as a smile crossed his face. Both he and his ally had been trained to the highest degree of mastery, but Aalif had always been incredibly skilled at spotting possibility. The wise master's thoughts drifted to the world of 'what if?' as he considered the near future, and what it may hold for the princess.


	6. Chapter 5: Conclusion

**CHAPTER 5**

_**Conclusion**_

"Although untapped, she shows great potential," Master Aalif insisted, marveling at the princess's preliminary skills. "Not only is her light strong, but her will is also unbreakable." The conversation took a different turn as both wise men, seemingly of one mind, thought identical thoughts about the brave-heart teen.

Master Yen Sid spoke his mind, summarizing his thoughts to his friend and himself. "Reassurance in her safety is good news, for a blow to Kairi would be equivalent as a blow to Sora. He cares for her so, but he can't always be there to defend both her and the worlds," the watcher of worlds declared, recalling Sora's previous journey in which he was willing to follow the Organization's leading if it meant finding Kairi. "It's good then that she learns to fight," he concluded, his mind racing as he stroked his beard thoughtfully, closing his eyes before engaging them again, along with his intellect.

"But back to our discussion," he insisted, knowing that his fantasies could wait a while longer. His mind traveled back in time to the matter of the timeline. _If only Sora and Riku traveled back in time, the only changes that should have been made were right at Destiny Islands, which wouldn't matter as the world was destroyed directly following. That doesn't explain the multiple occurrences, or their present revelation. _"The rifts caused by the timeline, how did they appear so suddenly?

The debate was on. "You guessed Xehanort is moving. I would have to agree," the master's comrade responded, pausing in between sentences as if mentally composing his speech. Aalif disclosed unnecessary details to verify his point, as he was in the habit of doing. "These rifts seemed to create different pasts for a few certain individuals – they suddenly seemed to remember events that they didn't know but had lived somehow." Yen Sid was not surprised by this revelation, as he knew from their studies how alternative timelines can be created and replace the original. However, his informant's next statement stunned him. "Some even had no memory of their original past," Master Aalif continued, "all of it has been erased and replaced." This was a surprising revelation, as most often one would retain their memory of paradoxes if they had been the one to alter it. _But if some of those affected remembered and others hadn't, how does this place their involvement in the case? Who are these individuals?_

Despite his assumptions and uncertainties, Master Weis considered these thoughts trivial until his colleague's conclusion. "And the new memories of those affected revealed that Sora and Riku have more enemies than they ever knew."

_So not only is Xehanort's possible return imminent, but now he has an army of the past? _This seemed unlikely and tremendously defective. "Xehanort is cunning and deceitful," Master Yen Sid admitted, knowing the dark master's IQ had always been outstanding even before his conversion to darkness. ", but I do not believe he could plan this far in advance. And if he couldn't travel through time…" his sentence trailed off as he considered this. _Is it possible?_

His compatriot was quick to agree with his declaration. "Of course, it would be illogical to believe even he could think so far ahead." After a brief pause, Aalif entered into the world of 'what if?' his sure answers melting away to the unknowns. "But could he have allies like we do who exist everywhere, hiding in the shadows and helping in disguise? Could he have friends in the sleeping realm, or companions who travel the timeline?" These thoughts were troubling to both masters, and the legends of the future did not ease their minds at all. "But this is all speculation and ideas," Aalif admitted, attempting to ease his own mind as much as Weis'. "This is where I am still unsure."

Yen Sid was deep in concentration, working on an entirely different level. Despite his perceptiveness, even he was having difficulties grasping their theories. So he expressed himself, his ideas and his concerns. "Despite our questions on this fact, your story sound probable," he agreed, shutting his eyes and furrowing his brow. Most of his questions from their discussion could be privately studied, but one tugged at his mind most of all. "Yet I do not understand why Xehanort would change the stories of other Sora and Riku do not know." His eyes opened as he continued his explanation, motioning to his friend on the other side of the crystal. "He would surely attempt to crush them from the inside – Kairi would have been much more useful to change than a stranger," he noted, knowing the Organization was definitely aware of Sora's deep connection with her.

The two companions were again in agreement. "This also confuses me, but I enjoy observing this," Aalif mentioned before proposing his solution. "Kairi couldn't have been taken in the first place, being a princess of heart. She has the physical incapability of obeying or giving into the darkness." This fact was obvious throughout her own adventures as she traveled through corruptible darkness unharmed. "I cannot tell why Xehanort would not manipulate others close to your students," the scholar continued, pausing as he inserted in his own opinion. "However," he continued, "I do know the people he manipulated are strong individuals capable of fighting Sora and Riku fairly." This fact again sparked the inquisitive concern both masters expressed towards the situation. "If their past is what their newly discovered memories appears, we have an issue on our hands of mass proportions. Sora and Riku may be in more danger than you think."

"Yet I cannot tell," Yen Sid stated solemnly. This statement turned the tides of the conversation from the timeline corruption to the missing keyblade wielders, of whom no reliable trace of their whereabouts had been found.

"I cannot locate them either, despite trying," Weis' companion responded, sorrow in his tone at his own failure. Despite their grim turn of events, Aalif's next statement lifted both of their spirits to a degree. "But I have one ally that currently calls the Realm of Sleep home; he could possibly have some new information for me. Although my ideas may be folly or truth, I hope this may be useful to you," he added, trusting that the masters' conversation had brought new angles of the situation to light. "I don't know what else I can do," his supporter continued," but I will be glad to help in any way I can. It's been a long time since I took up arms," he added solemnly, "but that may soon be called for."

"Let us hope not," Master Weis Yen Sid responded with conviction, knowing both of them were well beyond their prime fighting ability. "Thank you," he replied kindly, "it has been nice to share ideas with one such as yourself." Having many new considerations in his wheel of thought, he needed time to ponder them before the king and his attendants returned. "Until we speak again, farewell."

"Goodbye, brother." And with that departing, the crystal's light faded, and the retired master was again left alone with his thoughts.


	7. Chapter 6: Stranger

**CHAPTER 6**

_**Stranger**_

In the World That Never Was, down a silent alley, walked a strange existence. The being was full of light but was constantly surrounded and consumed by streams of darkness, allowing no physical form. She had been somebody, but now was an in-between. Not a Heartless. Not a Nobody. Not anything. But not only was she a nothing – she was a nothing with little time left. Yet this didn't matter. She wasn't afraid. She knew this – her alternative memories attested to the future. _It's happening,_ she thought to herself. _Sora is asleep, and Avice will soon awaken._ Despite having no reason for purpose, she carried on the wishes of her somebody. _I have to help him – all of them._

* * *

_I love my Dream Eaters,_ Riku thought to himself, smiling despite his situation before sobering at his next few thoughts. _I'll be sad to see them go_, he noted, knowing that as soon as Sora awoke, his new power would disappear and he would be unable to use these allies. _But I will get Sora back, no matter what_. Riku's words of self-determination pushed him forward as he approached the end of the Dreamline he had forged with his Komory Bat.

Flipping off of it expertly, he and his dream eater separated from each other. The little furry creature landed on his master's shoulder and received a few affectionate strokes in thanks before vanishing. Riku smiled at the thought of the creature's cheerfulness before turning his attention to the Meow Meow cat he had spotted at the base of the floating, otherworldly castle. It came bounding up to him cheerfully, its pudgy little body giddy with gladness. Giving the Spirit a brief pat as well, Riku stood and scanned the area, looking for any sign of Sora other than his dream eater. But there was nothing in the area except an empty hallway ahead that seemed to lead deeper into the castle.

The caring dream didn't need to be asked to lead the way, for it sprang away from Riku and began running down the passageway as fast as his little legs could carry him. Smiling in this brief amusement, Riku followed the curious little animal down the corridor, walking as slow as the tiny cat-dog cross could run. The hallway was not long, and in almost a minute they had reached its end – a large open room with nothing inside of it. The Spirit halted to catch its breath before looking from side to side as if confused of where to go. Riku also looked about, bewildered. _Why would the dream eater have led me here?_

His thoughts were interrupted when a corridor of darkness suddenly opened a few feet in front of him. Standing ready for ambush, Riku paused a moment to wait for someone to emerge, yet no one did. The dream eater, however, immediately rushed towards the pathway, stopping and turning only to see if the keyblade wielder was following him. But Riku was hesitant and stopped to ponder his questions. _Who opened this, and why? It seems as though the dream eater thinks Sora's in there, but…could this be a trap?_

"Please…help him…" a voice seemed to say out of nowhere. Indeed, it seemed like the sound had no source but instead echoed and originated from inside his head. But the voice was not his; it was the sweet but sad tone of a girl he heard ringing through his mind. Looking around for the source of the noise, Riku was surprised to spot an open balcony high above the entryway behind him.

Sitting on the edge of the balcony was a young woman who seemed to be shining with light. However, the figure was shrouded in a thick darkness that swirled around her swiftly and constantly, so Riku was given no tangible evidence as to whom this figure might be; her face, hair, and even her outfit were not visible at all. But he could sense her light; there was no doubt in his mind that her heart was full of it. He was immediately stunned, for although she shined with light she used darkness to open a path. _Could that be the reason the darkness is surrounding her?_ _Could the darkness be devouring her heart because she gave me this gateway?_

He didn't have much time to study her or think on the subject, for the girl leaped down from the balcony and fell towards the ground, seemingly floating on air. Yet as she descended slowly, the darkness that composed her dispersed until it had completely dissipated into the air, engulfing the mysterious figure and causing her to vanish as if she was never there. Riku stood stunned as he watched the event, believing she had turned into a Heartless because of the darkness or possibly suffering from a worse fate.

_That voice…why does it sound…so – so familiar,_ Riku pondered, clearing his eyes and wondering if he had imagined the entire encounter. But the path before him was real, and so he knew that she must have been too. Wondering who this mysterious helper was, he began checking his memories trying to find out where he could have known her from. A sudden thought passed by, but he shook it away. _Surely she couldn't be the one who I met on the islands – I couldn't see a brand. She was too nice…and she was helping me, not confusing me. No, it must be someone else. _

_But…who? _Her mannerisms did not seem to resemble that of an enemy despite the darkness surrounding her, yet Riku knew looks were deceiving. _I could feel her light, but the darkness tried to disguise it. Did the darkness…take her away? Is she still alive, or did she just…die? And her voice…for a minute, I thought there were two people talking._

Riku was forced to lay these thoughts aside when the whimpering of the Meow Meow drew Riku's attention back to him. Turning to see the happy creature, Riku was a bit surprised to find the portal growing as streams of darkness seemed to flow into it. He was immediately wary but watched Sora's dream eater as it dove into the growing portal with no hesitation, leaving Riku alone in the large room. Although knowing the entire thing could be a set-up, Riku was willing to take that chance if it meant finding Sora. _After all,_ he thought_, she did ask me to help Sora…and the Dream Eater should know the way_. Finishing his brief contemplation session, Riku dove into the darkness, cautious of what lay ahead but also strangely comforted in this encounter.


	8. Chapter 7: Rescue

**CHAPTER 7**

_**Rescue**_

"No, Lea! You are not doing it right!" the sage Merlin criticized the fire-headed student, lightly tapping his cane on the ground in his frustration. Lea opened his eyes and scowled once again, having been stopped for what must be the hundredth time already. _Why does he always pick on me so much? Even when I was young… _

Lucky for the crash-course student, he had a sympathizer. "Oh, hush you old coot!" Flora reprimanded, lightly tapping the long-bearded wizard on the shoulder with her small wand. "He's doing just fine," she insisted, giving Lea a nod of approval for his efforts.

"Merlin's right," the overweight blue fairy called out in disagreement, supportive to Merlin's reproach. "His hand position is all wrong!" she complained, pointing with her wand to his tense outstretched wrist. She rapped his hand with her stick three times as if it were punishment for bad behavior; this did nothing but further irritate the firebomb.

Merryweather received a reprimand from Fauna, the third fairy of the trio. "Leave him alone," she insisted firmly, her sweet nature lessening her command's effect. "It's harder than it looks. When have you ever summoned a keyblade?" the green cloaked sympathetic asked her stubborn compatriot. She knew even though they had magically suppressed the time of Castle Oblivion, Lea's keyblade would not appear instantaneously.

The headstrong heavyset fairy was never one to take well to reprimand. "He's never summon one like that!" she insisted, yelling in her whiny tone at Fauna. Her face flushed as red as Lea's hair, and she gripped her wand tightly, obviously close to unleashing its power and starting a short war between the fairies … again.

Lea crossed his arms, annoyed and in no way amused by this display. The firehead rolled his eyes and let out an irritated sigh, which was ignored by the old arguers. "I'd do better if you guys didn't comment on every move I made," he proclaimed sarcastically and forcefully, which promptly shut up the three fighters and amused the old magician.

Composing himself, Lea took a few deep breaths before closing his eyes and tightening his brow, concentrating on one word: keyblade. He owned it, willed it and imagined it, determined to be successful in obtaining it. With an outstretched arm, he waited, concentrating solely on that word. But after seconds turned to minutes, his arm flopped down to his side again and his expression turned from concentration to disappointment. "Nothing. This isn't working," he claimed, feeling no different at all except a growing disappointment in his lack of progress. "Why can't I do it?" he asked himself, critical about his poor performance.

Their expressions were easy for Lea to read; he had always been skilled determining what one thought by what they expressed. While Merlin appeared to be contemplating his question as if searching for a correct answer in an exam, the three fairies appeared compassionate despite his difficulties. Well, except one of the three, who was bursting with negative remarks. "I'm telling you, you're not flicking your wrist right!" the pudgy blue fairy insisted, having no sympathy for the student.

"Merryweather!" Flora and Fauna cried in outburst. Merlin did not come to his supporter's rescue, as it was obvious this criticism was completely downgrading and not constructively critical in the least. The fairies needed no further initiative and launched into another dramatic episode. Lea turned his back on the group and walked a few paces away, facing the white walled corner as if shunned by his teachers.

In truth, he was shunning himself. _How hard can it be? Am I really that weak that I can't do this?_ His arms crossed and his eyes closed, shutting out the world and being absorbed in his personal world only he understood. _There has to be some other trick to it that I'm just not getting. Why is this so hard for me? I've got to get on top of this._

A light tread behind him broke his concentration, waking him from his trance. A flash of blue to his right startled him only for a moment before he recognized – due to the lightness of foot – that his visitor must be the old coot, not the old grouch. Turning his eyes into slits, Lea said the one thing he had been too hesitant to think in fear of a initiating a wave of distracting memories. "Roxas made it look so easy," he murmured quietly, barely above a whisper.

"Who's Roxas?" Merlin asked, his question appearing genuine and curious, a hand to his beard. Despite working with Master Yen Sid and the keyblade wielders in the past, he had never been informed about Organization XIII's keyblade-wielding and deflecting member, Roxas.

_Great, that did it._ Lea thought. The tsunami of memories of Roxas overtook him, and scenes of their time together flashed before his eyes. The missions and ice cream treats, the times Roxas made him feel real, their last meeting in the subconscious – all of it came flooding back to him. "A friend of mine," he insisted dismissively, unable to fully control the choke in his voice. Lea was immediately furious with himself. _You idiot…control your heart. …Man, I hate this thing sometimes. _

Whether Merlin had caught the break in Lea's voice, the previous Nobody couldn't tell. Still, his next appeal to pathos suggested he had indeed heard this momentary weakness, or that he was being nice to Lea for once. "You know I only pretend to be critical," he insisted, his tone as generous as he could manage. Lea's head turned and his eyes met the wizard's, who continued with his speech of praise despite Lea's expression. "You're actually doing quite well, considering you're just starting."

"Actually?" Lea questioned, completely composed and wanting to regain his emotionless facade. _There's no way I'm letting THIS guy know I care about things._ "That's a backhand compliment right there," the bad boy insisted in the most sarcastic, unfeeling way he could, standing cross armed and cheeky, completing the effect with an rebellious facial expression accompanied by the mischievous glint in his eyes.

This made Merlin laugh; he was clearly amused by Lea's cover-up. "Well, I'm giving you a compliment, am I not?" Lea didn't respond except to twist his lips into his devilish grin. Merlin continued with his task, getting down to business. "Now, your form isn't the problem; it's your thought process. When you think of a keyblade, what do you think of?" he asked his pupil, who now clearly displaying real interest in this conversation.

"Hmm," Lea thought, turning away and closing his eyes for a moment to think. _First off, where does he get these questions? I feel like I'm taking a pop quiz. Second, what really is a keyblade? Guess I didn't study enough for this._ After a few moments, Lea opens his eyes and responds impassively with a shrug of his shoulders and half-hearted answer. "…a powerful weapon, I guess."

"Is that all?" Merlin asked, appearing legitimately surprised that this is all Lea thought about such a marvelous, intricate, and complex tool. When Lea did not present any more alternatives, Merlin fed him another question. "What does it get its power from?"

Lea contemplated this angle again, determined to answer it correctly and not completely bomb this test. _Considering that Sora and Roxas both fought against evil, the keyblade must be created for good intentions and powered as such. But Riku had a keyblade when he fought for darkness too… No, he must just be an exception. Xehanort lost control of his keyblade when he turned to darkness. _"Light, right?" Lea commented, still not completely sure but having no better answer.

He was wrong. "No," Merlin insisted, failing Lea on this imaginary assignment. _Okay, fine,_ Lea thought, _I don't know, old man! Roxas had one, I liked it, I want one of my own!_ Merlin continued to explain the process while Lea absorbed every word. "The heart of its wielder," was the wizard's reply in regard to a keyblade's power. "You need to reach deeper in your heart to summon your keyblade."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Lea remarked provokingly, turning away from the bearded sage. The student uncrossed his right arm and supported it on his left, his outstretched hand making him appear incredulous and defiant but also suggesting he was attempting to grasp an answer. This development had dashed Lea's confidence, but he refused to show it. _That's still hard for me,_ he thought. I've_ been so used to not having a heart, that it's hard for me to control. _

Merlin's response was simple for once. "Practice makes perfect," the old man insisted, nodding in agreement to his own proverb. "Besides," he continued, "you were always one to act on impulse." It was a surprise to the old man when Lea, his back still turned to his teacher, drew his arm back and started laughing heartily as if Merlin was _funny_. "What's that for?" he asked his pupil, who seemed to be in an unstoppable laughing cycle.

Lea turned back to Merlin while trying to stop laughing, hands on his hips and tears in his eyes. "I'm just remembering that prank I played on you when I was fourteen," Lea recollected, trying to control himself. Upon seeing the old wizard stroking his beard with a confused expression, Lea lost it again, wrapping his arms around his chest as he burst out again. Between laughter spells he was able to explain which of the many pranks he was referring to. "The one where I snuck into your house and switched all of the bottle labels."

Lea kept laughing, but Merlin was not amused. The old man was shocked momentarily at this being the cause for Lea's outburst before remembering he had been the one who was pranked. Truly appearing angry, his face turned red and cross before he began his reprimand. "I thought I taught you a lesson!" the sage remarked, poking Lea in the stomach with his walking stick as a reminder of the rebel's previous pain.

Lea was beginning to calm down. "Hey, the punishment was worth it to see the look on your face," the student insisted, not remembering the aftermath but instead the process and gain of his adventure. "Your beard was blue for a week!" he remembered as the details of that day came back to him in a flash. He and his accomplice had snuck into the old wizard's home while Merlin was out, crept over to his chemistry set and switched certain labels on jars. When his friend left in fear of being caught, Lea stayed behind to see the result. As soon as Merlin mixed two of the chemicals, a puff of blue smoke had stained his beard and he could not reverse it with magic. Seeing the old magician scramble had sent the hiding teenager Lea in a laughter spell, exposing himself and earning him a ton of punishment. _But still, Merlin's beard! Way worth it!_

Lea was obviously the only one amused. "Not another word, boy, or you'll get worse this time," Merlin insisted gravely, rapping of Lea's head lightly with his wooden wand. Lea collected himself and prevented his laughter; he was unable to contain his smile, though, and his attempts to do so were definitely amusing. Merlin stared at him hard until he managed to stay serious. "Let's try again." Turning back to the crystal and the fairies, he led the student back to the session. If it could be called that. "Not this again," Merlin remarked in annoyance. While Lea and Merlin had had their own private conversation, the fairies had exploded into another full-blown war, bursting out at one another in a frenzy. "Will you three never stop your bickering?" the wizard demanded, attempting to separate the fighters while Lea watched the show.

The main combatants were Flora and Merryweather, as per usual. And as expected, the argument had somehow drifted from the blue fairy's cruel remarks to the typical battle of the colors. Only this time it was an active fight. "Pink!" Flora insisted, firing a blast at Merryweather. The pudgy fairy was able sidestep the spell, causing it to strike a white column, resulting in a pink stain on its flawless white stone.

"No…blue!" Merryweather exclaimed, firing a counterattack at her opponent. Flora was also able to avoid the blow by ducking under it. It flew over her head and hit the person standing behind her who was trying to break up the fight. Merlin's beard was once again blue. It wasn't the same shade of cobalt as the experiment explosion had resulted in, but Merlin's baffled face accompanied by his cerulean beard threw Lea into a hysterical laughing fit. The fairies stood in shock for a moment muttering to one another before joining Lea in his gaiety, laughing their heads off while Merlin looked like his head was about to blow.

"You think this is funny!" the old man shrieked, resulting in even more uncontrollable laughter. Now Lea was clutching his sides as if his ribs were about to explode, and Merryweather and Flora laughed as rambunctiously as ever. Only Fauna attempted to control herself, but even she couldn't stop herself from dying of laughter. Merlin clutched his wand so tightly he could have broken it, and his face, hot with anger, should have been more than enough warning about his near eruption. "I have had enough of your arguments!" he proclaimed, pointing his stick at the three fairies. "One more squabble between you three, and I'll turn you all into Heartless!" This caused everyone to quickly sober up – even Lea was surprised at the intensity in Merlin's face. He seemed so mad, the fire controller could almost imagine the flames of anger surrounding the magician. Of course, Lea doubted the old sweetheart would carry through with this threat, but his intensity… And in that moment, Lea had a greater respect for Merlin than he had ever had before – Merlin had scared him.

After a few moments of tense silence, Merlin released the fairies from his hard glare, and they came back to life, breathing as if afraid to and muttering quietly among one another. With a few unintelligible statements and a few sweeping movements of his magical hands, Merlin had removed the stain from his facial hair, reversing the situation though his words did not disappear. "Back to our lesson," he declared, regaining his calm, scholarly nature. The fairies turned to him and nodded in agreement, Flora still pale from fear, Fauna concerned but unafraid (as she had done nothing wrong), and Merryweather seemingly pacified. The wizard turned to Lea, reminding him of their private conversation's purpose. "Try summoning your keyblade again. This time, focus on your heart's inner power."

"And don't forget to –" Merryweather cut herself short when all eyes fell on her in hard warning glares. Her hands flew up to her mouth as she watched Merlin fearfully, knowing she should have held her tongue. _I didn't think she had it in her, not after what Merlin said,_ Lea thought. _I mean, even I wouldn't have it in me to stand up to him right after he said that…and that's saying something. _The awkward silence only lasted for a moment before Lea shuffled his feet as if taking up a stance in which he thought he would most easily summon his keyblade, sure he would now obtain his prize.

All eyes were on him now, so he closed his, more relaxed than his previous attempts, seemingly at peace now knowing the secret. _Focus on my heart's light. Focus…_ Lea thought, reaching deep inside of his heart. _This feeling is so familiar, yet so strange. …Find the light. What is your light? What is light in your life? Light…_ Through his closed eyelids he saw a blinding flash of light and cringed at the intensity. _I've done it!_ he proclaimed to himself, opening his eyes in full anticipation of his personal keyblade.

Instead he found his hand was still empty, outstretched and clutching air. He blinked a few times, trying to make sure he wasn't just imagining it. But it was true; he had not summoned his keyblade. "Come on…" he said quietly, again distraught in his failure. "I thought I had it," he insisted, staring at his empty hand before letting his arms hang down, not caring that he was showing emotion.

"Don't worry, dear. You'll get it," Flora insisted, resuming her role as Lea's personal cheerleader. Fauna nodded in agreement, but Lea didn't see it. His eyes were glazed over – he was losing himself to his thoughts again. _Is it because I don't know what my light is? What is my light? I haven't had any light for so long…even when I still did have a heart. And any light I do have is always…taken away._

Lea awoke himself from his zombie-like nature and flooded his mind with a number of other questions. "Well, what was the flash?" he asked, completely regaining his normal disposition. _If it wasn't my keyblade, what was it? The only other thing in this room besides us is…_

"The crystal." Merryweather stated, finishing Lea's thoughts. While Flora and Fauna had been watching their student, Merryweather had turned to see the orb glowing with a lavender glow, igniting the entire room in its purple hue. Lea was mesmerized by this light, its brightness seeming to generate a warming heat Lea found comforting in a way.

"Strange…it isn't self-activating," Merlin noted pensively as they all approached the glowing sphere. Lea heard the comment but dismissed it. _Let him think what he wants. This light…it's so familiar…_ The purple gave way to white smoke, and from within its swirls a scenario arose. It featured Riku in a white room Lea easily recognized as the Room Where Nothing Gathers, the meeting place for the Organization. The keyblade wielder looked incredulous as he turned slowly, gawking at the seats. The point of view shifted, focusing on the seats as jets of darkness poured into a seat before receding, revealing someone dressed in a black Organization cloak. The view scanned the entire gang, resting momentarily on the face of someone Lea had never thought he'd see again: Xemnas. Directly next to him was Braig – another surprise. _So this is where he's been the entire time?_ Lea also vaguely recognized the being sitting parallel to Xemnas as Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness, also known as Xehanort's Heartless. The seat in between them, originally occupied by Xemnas, had a flow of darkness streaming into it, yet the dark being was not satisfied enough to emerge.

"What's happening here?" Merryweather asked, but everyone ignored her, especially Lea. He was completely enamored in this vision. _Is this real? What in the world is this?! I was there for every full Organization meeting, and Riku was never there, or Ansem! And Xemnas and Xigbar never sat there – I've never seen this. This never happened. Is this happening now? _He focused again on the vision as it continued to scan over the cloaked members, many wearing their hoods to hide themselves. _Who are they?_ As the view focused back on the conversation between Riku and a cloaked figure Lea did not recognize, Lea started to see what was behind him.

Sweet hearted Fauna noticed Lea flinch. "What's wrong?" she asked, stunned by his suddenly concerned expression. This wasn't the only feeling behind Lea's disposition. Desperation, longing, triumph, and terror were swirled in a large mess of conflicting emotions when Lea saw who sat in the chair. "Roxas!" he exclaimed, stepping closer to the ball, not believing what he saw. Yet he didn't dare blink – he didn't want this to be a lie.

"Who? Where?" Merryweather asked, drawing closer to the crystal ball. She and the other two fairies now came closer as well, stunned by Lea's sudden outpouring of emotion. Merlin hung back in his own contemplative state, pondering different angles to this case instead of being consumed by emotions.

That's what Lea was – consumed by his emotions. "There!" he pointed assuredly at the sleeping character. The closer his finger got to the orb, the hotter it burned, but Lea didn't notice. All he saw was his best friend he thought was gone forever sitting comatose in a chair, guarded by an evil-looking cloak-wearing fiend. _This makes no sense…but I don't care._

"Lea, that's Sora," Flora insisted, pointing to Roxas just as Lea did. He watched her hand in his peripheral vision for a tremor of hesitation or at least shock from the heat, but neither expression revealed itself – she was serious.

Lea refused to take his eyes off his best friend. "No. I see Roxas," he insisted firmly, pulling back from the crystal and clenching both fists in utter bewilderment at these strange events and the surge of emotions he felt. He was worried for his friend, but now confused. _Is that Sora? Why do I see Roxas? Or do they see Sora, and it's really Roxas? WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?!_

"What's even stranger is that these scenes aren't in this world," Merlin commented. With this, the perspective shifted from Riku and the cloaked man and their muffled conversation to the seat of Number I, which still was unfilled but a form began to take shape. Suddenly a bright flash filled the crystal, and when it was lifted the moment reacted as if a screen had been paused. The entire vision was coated in a blue purple light, and everything was frozen.

Merlin's statement and this pause allowed Lea to recuperate. _Okay, you need to think about this, not only rely on emotions. _Continuing to stare at the orb, he crossed his arms and entered his own world, trying to sort things out. _Is this really happening? …State the facts first, then the theories. This is taking place in The Room Where Nothing Gathers in the Castle That Never Was in the World That Never Was. Xemnas is there, but he was defeated by Sora, or so Mickey told me. Ansem was killed by Sora in their first journey. Brag is there…no…that looks like Xigbar. Braig didn't have a ponytail or grey streaks in his hair – only Xigbar did. So is that Braig or Xigbar? …that doesn't matter. He hasn't been spotted since the other apprentices and I all woke up, meaning he could have been there. I don't know who that other guy is, but Riku is there. Master Yen Sid said he couldn't find Riku, so this could be where he has gone. The person in the chair is either Sora or Roxas – either way, they are unconscious. …But who are the others? And what is happening here? When did it happen – in the past? Now?_ Lea reflected on his contemplation session – he didn't really answer any of his questions.

Lea didn't have any more time to think about it. The crystal recaptured his full attention when dark ripple effects broke the frozen image, resuming the scene. The view remained on the highest seat in the circle, but the character had fully been restored. In the boss' seat sat an old balding man with dark skin, a silver goatee, pointed ears and yellow eyes. He wore a white and black coat with a red liner over a white shirt; white gloves and black boots completed the outfit. To Lea, he appeared to be a feeble old man, but the gasps of the fairies and sage told Lea there was so much more to this man than meets the eye. "Who's that?" Lea asked the others, not taking his eyes off the strange sight.

"Master Xehanort!" Merryweather gasped. This was the first time Lea had heard actual terror in the blue fairy's voice. True, he hadn't known her long, but she had not been afraid of Merlin enough to keep quiet, yet here she was, not saying a word other than a fear-filled response as to who this old man was. This made Lea immediately alert.

The other fairies were just as concerned as Merryweather. "But that's impossible!" Flora insisted as if trying to believe this was a bad dream. Lea wanted to believe it too. Despite being glad at seeing Roxas again, Lea knew that if this was real, Roxas was in big trouble. _Or Sora. Whoever. _

"Oh, dear!" Merlin exclaimed silently, as if afraid to raise his voice. Lea took his eyes off the crystal to study the others for a moment. The three fairies were hushed and subdued, their little wings alert as if ready to fly in retreat at any moment. While Flora appeared unconvinced and doubtful, Fauna and Merryweather clearly believed this scene as Fauna was clearly concerned deeply and Merryweather was incredibly fearful. Merlin clutched his cane tightly to support himself as he stroked his beard anxiously. Lines of worry creased his face and he had paled considerably. Seeing them like this almost made Lea scared. Almost.

"Who is he?" Lea asked, the name not ringing a bell. He had known a Xehanort, but they did not look anything alike in age or appearance. In fact, that Xehanort had been where both Xemnas and Ansem the Seeker of Darkness had come from, therefore he could surely not be here if both of his counterparts were. And this character had been given the title "Master". Why?

"He's the whole reason there is a keyblade war, dear, and everything related to it," Fauna stated gravely, the normally sweet lilt in her voice giving way to worry. Her elderly face, usually in a loving – almost grandmotherly – expression, was knit in tight concentration and concern; she did not look away from the ball as she spoke. A tense silence followed as the scene continued, this Master Xehanort character having a muted conversation with someone below him. Lea still didn't really understand this, but he did take understand this: _Note to self: Master Xehanort is evil. Hate Master Xehanort. …Done. _

"Merlin, is this real?" Lea inquired, studying the new scene closely. The vision had shifted to looking straight down again as the other members did, watching Riku and Mickey, who seemed to have just appeared out of nowhere. Now Lea was even more confused. _I just saw him not too long ago. …if this happened before, he most likely would have mentioned it, so this has to be a current event. If it is real. I really hope it isn't, or we may have a big problem here. _

Merlin's answer was not much of a comfort. "It's highly possible," the genius remarked, watching the scene in fascination. Now Lea was worried…and confused. _If this is possible, it has to be happening right now; otherwise Mickey would have surely said something. But how are Xemnas and Ansem there? They're dead! And is Braig really Braig, or is he Xigbar? Who was that other guy? And is that Roxas or Sora? …This is definitely a strange vision. But for now, I must assume this is real._

As the scene progressed, Lea's desperation grew. Roxas's chair was raised above the rest. Mickey and Riku turned to see this and tried to stop it. But as Mickey jumped up the tall pillars, he was trapped in a violent choke hold by Xemnas. Riku was pinned by Ansem before he could even attempt a rescue. Lea could read their expressions: anger, fear, and desperation. He knew this was urgent; the suspense welled up inside him as he watched. "Someone has to help!" he insisted urgently, but no one moved. What could they do? The view shifted back to Master Xehanort, who now stood on his chair at the same level as Roxas. With some magical gestures of his hands and a point of his keyblade, a bright orb was fired at the cataleptic keyblade wielder. Filled with sudden dread, a desperate thought crossed Lea's mind: _Once whatever that is hits Roxas, he'll be gone forever. _"No!" he shouted, trying to reach Roxas through the crystal itself.

Lea hadn't felt the heat until it was too late. Upon contacting the crystal it exploded, knocking him back hard. He scrambled to his feet frantically before bewilderment took over. He was uninjured; the others had not been moved. The crystal ball itself was still there, and purple light again filled it completely. However, the entire scenario they just witnessed inside the orb had escaped – it was now an illusion in their midst. Lea turned around incredulously just as Riku had earlier; however, the silver-haired hero now walked defiantly to Mickey's side, joining him in protesting this villain. Lea didn't know what to think or say. "What is this?" he asked puzzled; it was all he could think to say.

Merlin was surveying the scene as well, but his expression seemed hopeful in a positive way. "It seems as if what we just saw was a vision of the future, and these are the events in real time," he stated intellectually. Lea was mystified by this but accepted the explanation without question, whirling around quickly in hopes of seeing Roxas still alive, even in the form of an illusion.

How is that possible?" Flora asked the magician, uninterested in the repeat of events. However, Lea wasn't listening – he had found the cause of his distress. It wasn't Roxas. The fairies were right. It was Sora.

"We did compress the time of this world – perhaps that's the cause." Merlin's comment was unheeded by the hopeful firelocks who gazed at the sleeping illusion of the keyblade wielder…Roxas' Somebody.

"I can't let that happen to Sora!" Lea exclaimed, wielding around to face his instructors, a new fire in his eyes. _He may be Sora, but Roxas is still in there! And I promised…best friends forever._ Lea was reckless but resolved. "I'm going to help," he insisted firmly, hoping he would not be questioned.

Merryweather was the first to raise an argument. "Are you crazy?" she exclaimed overbearingly, having a hard time appearing worried and mad at the same time – she just seemed whiny as always. "You can't just rush in there with no plan at all!"

"I've got to go. I promised I'd always get my friends back – that includes Sora too." Lea was determined and would not be dissuaded; he stood defiant, fists clenched at his sides and his face hard as stone. But as he argued uselessly, he saw the events continue and knew he was losing valuable time.

"But you can't fight them all by yourself," Fauna insisted, clearly concerned for his well-being. Lea ignored them. He didn't need a plan – he would make it up as he went along. He wasn't worried about what would happen to him, but only about what would happen to Sora – and in extension, Roxas. Lea wasn't scared; he was angry, cocky, and ready to destroy – he was Axel all over again. And nothing would stop him.

"Ladies, let him go," Merlin insisted, saving Lea the trouble of leaving without a leave. "We mustn't delay him any longer," the understanding wizard remarked, turning their attention back to the current events. Mickey and Xehanort appeared near the end of their conversation, and everyone had seen what happened next.

"Oh, all right," Flora gave in, resigning the reproaches for all three fairies. "Be careful, dear," she pleaded, the genuine concern in her tone surprising Lea. _It's almost as if…they care. Why? Oh, right, they care because they have hearts…right? Or is there something more…_ No matter what the reason, this small extension of emotion touched him.

"I'll try," Lea responded honestly, thanking his instructors with a smile. It was the least he could do. Turning from them, he extended his hand and opened a path, hoping he could get there in time using the Corridors of Darkness. _What will I do when I get there? No time to think about it – I'm sure my natural skills will kick in._

He was stopped one more time, but this was a necessary precaution. "Lea, I wouldn't rely on your keyblade yet," Merlin warned his young fire blazer. "It's too unpredictable." With a solemn nod Lea summoned his two Chakrams and dashed into the portal, working out this play in his head and how he should execute it.


	9. Chapter 8: All's Right

**CHAPTER 8**

_**All's Right**_

"You!?" Sora and Riku exclaimed simultaneously, both staring in disbelief at the fire-haired previous Nobody keyblade-wielding wannabe. _One minute fire-hot Nobody, the next a keyblade wielder? Well that just happened, _Riku thought as he compared Lea to Axel. Sora, though, had thoughts that may not have been entirely his own. _He wanted a keyblade the whole time? Why didn't he ever ask to borrow mine? _

"Hey, thanks for the vote of confidence," Lea remarked, staring at the two bewildered keyblade wielders. "You know I was going to come swooping in, keyblade in hand!" he insisted, illustrating his statement with the waving of his arms around before crossing them again, leaning against the bookshelf. "But I just couldn't get mine to materialize," Lea said unhappily, staring at his hand in disappointment at its ability as if it were a separate sentient being. "Must be in the snap of the wrist or something," he thought aloud, remembering Merryweather's rebukes and finally taking her advice. He was as surprised as everyone else when a keyblade popped in his hand with a quick flame and a sweet-sounding zing. "Oh."

"WHOA!" everyone exclaimed, jumping at Lea's sudden success. Donald had seemed to jump a mile high, and even Master Yen Sid had leaped from his chair to get a closer look at Lea's new weapon. The blade itself definitely fit its hot-headed wielder appearing like translucent yellow-orange flames with sharp hook-shaped teeth. Everyone studied it in disbelief, Lea especially. _This is mine._

"You did it!" Mickey exclaimed in his happy, cheery tone. He recalled the first time he had summoned his keyblade and how excited he had been; Mickey could only imagine how much more excited Lea was.

Lea's first emotion wasn't excitement, but instead self-criticism. "Wow, it was that easy and it took me THAT long to learn it?" he said, turning over his blade and studying it in the light. "I've got some serious work to do to make up for lost ground," he insisted, holding to his previous statement of catching up with Riku.

"Nice keyblade, though! Sora commented, still in awe at the blade's powerful appearance. "A lot like your other weapons," he remarked, studying the guard and the token hanging at the end of the chain.

"Chakrams, you mean," Lea said assuredly, now becoming more excited as being the center of attention raised his ego to a new extreme. Exhilaration took him over as he studied every little detail of his keyblade from the mini chakrams composing the chain to how the red in the flames were the exact shade of his hair.

"I am pleased that you finally learned to wield it," Master Yen Sid praised the reckless student in his smooth scholarly tone. A small nod accompanied this compliment, but Lea was too self-consumed to fully accept the kindness of his supporter.

"And I'm mad I was stupid enough to miss my dramatic entrance!" Lea exclaimed, trying to again be critical of himself and failing due to his bubbling delight. "Seriously, look how cool this thing is! Wouldn't it have been awesome?" the thrilled apprentice asked, brandishing his weapon to reflect the light.

"Hey, you'll get other opportunities," Riku insisted, assured of this and accepting Lea's new role in their circle of fellowship. He had never considered Axel's Somebody becoming a friend of his, but considering his past with Axel he figured this would be an interesting and beneficial friendship. Especially since having another warrior would be helpful when fighting Master Xehanort and his army of Seekers.

"I'll hold you to that," Lea insisted, motioning his keyblade at Riku like an extension of his hand. He took a few steps closer to the others, dramatically expressing himself as he continued. 'You guys need to be in danger more so Mr. Dark Rescue can swoop in and save the day!" he insisted, pumping his chest at "Dark Rescue" and swinging his blade like an airplane at "swoop in". _He is certainly illustrative,_ Riku thought with a laugh.

"Hey, just you watch," Sora insisted, immediately defensive at Lea's comment. "I'll be the one saving you're butt next time!" he proclaimed assuredly, sending all of them into a laughing spell. A though quickly came to Sora's mind, and he asked it without hesitation. "Hey, Lea I've got a question; how did you know I was in trouble?"

Lea's explanation was short and to the point but still focusing on him as the star of the show. "I was trying to work on my mad keyblade skills in Castle Oblivion when the crystal started showing you were gonna be in trouble. So since you had already interrupted my lesson, I thought I might as well go get'cha out of there," he explained nonchalantly as if there was no emotional attachment to it – he conveniently 'forgot' to mention who he had actually seen in the crystal ball. "But I'm kinda glad you did," Lea continued, "– now all of you saw my awesome keyblade!" In a moment of spontaneous energy he took up a fighting stance holding his keyblade in front of him in his right hand and getting a firm stance, almost appearing like a fencer. "How do I look?" he asked, obviously egotistical and hyper with joy.

"Funny." Riku's monotone reply and serious face led everyone else to burst out laughing again, including Riku. Lea looked questionable for a second before becoming aware of his immense emanation of pride and ego. Standing straight and recovering from his silliness, he dematerialized his before crossing his arms, back to his normal level of cockiness.

"Ha ha," Lea said unamused, rolling his eyes in response to the joke at his expense. The firelocks was not short a comeback. "Look who's talking," he insisted when the laughter had died down enough for him to get a word in. He stared Riku down with eyebrows furrowed and a mischievous expression appearing almost as if he was challenging the newly knighted keyblade master to a staring contest.

Riku lost this nonexistent challenge, blinking the next second. "What do you mean?" he asked inquiringly, having no earthly clue to what Lea could be referring to. The others had settled down as well, waiting curiously for an explanation.

Lea smiled his devilish grin, again successfully the focus of the conversation. "If we're playing questionnaire, I've got one for you," he insisted, walking closer to the confused teenager. Remaining silent for a moment, he added a small amount of suspenseful tension before grabbing one of the locks of the silver-haired boy. "What happened to your hair?" he asked sarcastically, causing everyone to burst out again.

Sora wiped away a tear from his eye before answering the question for his best friend. "Ya, about that, it was kind of my fault," he admitted with no shame in his voice – this obviously was a joke between the two as Riku had joined in the fun.

"Not really," Riku said lightheartedly, putting an arm around his shorter friend. Both glanced at each other before laughing again briefly, Sora taking over the explanation.

"One day on the islands we were practicing together, but I accidentally cut off a lot of the hair on one side of his head," Sora explained, looking back at Riku again after scanning the crowd of listeners. "He looked so lopsided, Kairi and I just couldn't stop laughing," the keyblade wielder insisted, starting to laugh again, this time accompanied by everyone else.

The laughter was short, and Riku picked up the explanation. "I cut it so it looked at least partially normal. It won't take too long to grow back," he insisted, playing with a lock near his left ear.

"Hey, I think it's good," Lea insisted, causing everyone to be stunned. Not because they disagreed, but because for once Lea had given a serious compliment. This air was quickly broken when Lea finished his thought. "Makes you look less like a girl," he remarked, smiling smugly at his comrade.

"Oh, ya, like you don't look like a girl," Riku was quick to sarcastically comment, causing another eruption of laughter. "Okay, my turn," Riku insisted, settling down the others again. "Sora, this question's for you," he said, facing his best friend square on. Looking Sora straight in the eyes, he pointed firmly to the other side of the room, trying to appear as serious as possible. "…What is with that tea party?!" This was the final eruption and the volcano of laughter flowed freely, Donald laughing so hard he looked like he was about to collapse.

"Why? Do you want some cake?" Sora asked, retaining a naive expression when the glee had died down enough to talk. This comment resulted in another burst of laughing from everyone but Sora. "No, seriously, who wants cake?" he insisted, walking over to the tea table with a smile. Everyone in the room grinned from ear to ear as they sat around the table and Sora changed into his funny glasses and party hat before cutting and serving the cake to his friends. For the first time in a long time, all was right with the world.

* * *

While the gang sat down for their tea party a figure retreated from the spot she had stood by the window for the last fifteen minutes. Turning away from the scene, she continued to listen to the sounds of joy and happiness coming from inside the tower. Everyone had been smiling, even him. A tear of joy ran down her cheek as this new act of fun confirmed what she already knew. "Sora…it is you," she declared as loud as she dared, truly smiling for the first time in forever. "It always was." With that she disappeared.


End file.
